Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Globally, the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has resulted in abrupt shifts in ecological and social environments, including school contexts, which became predominately virtual. This study (1) examines the role of the COVID-19 pandemic (transitioning to college prior to vs. during the C...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622722000107 |
| _version_ | 1811258090500128768 |
|---|---|
| author | Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado Shu-Sha Angie Guan Dianna Alvarado Julia Salcedo Amanda Thwaits Cathy Quach Jean Pauline Serrano Joanna Ramirez Claudia M. Toledo-Corral |
| author_facet | Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado Shu-Sha Angie Guan Dianna Alvarado Julia Salcedo Amanda Thwaits Cathy Quach Jean Pauline Serrano Joanna Ramirez Claudia M. Toledo-Corral |
| author_sort | Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Globally, the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has resulted in abrupt shifts in ecological and social environments, including school contexts, which became predominately virtual. This study (1) examines the role of the COVID-19 pandemic (transitioning to college prior to vs. during the COVID-19 pandemic) on cortisol awakening response (CAR) – a biological marker of chronic psychosocial stress – and university belonging among Latinx and Black first-year college students; and (2) explores whether university belonging serves as a mediator in the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and CAR. Latinx and Black students who were in their first semester at a four-year public university in Los Angeles County – one of the United States' hot spots for COVID-19, were recruited for this study. Across two separate cohorts (fall 2019, fall 2020), participants (N = 136) completed an online survey and provided salivary samples to assess for morning cortisol levels. Findings revealed that students who transitioned to college during the COVID-19 pandemic exhibited a flatter CAR and lower levels of belonging than students who transitioned to college prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for intervention, programs and policies aimed at fostering positive transitions to college during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:08:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13660f40976b4b55af0771550cc76266 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-6227 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:08:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-13660f40976b4b55af0771550cc762662022-12-22T03:21:54ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Ecological and Social Psychology2666-62272022-01-013100043Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemicYolanda Vasquez-Salgado0Shu-Sha Angie Guan1Dianna Alvarado2Julia Salcedo3Amanda Thwaits4Cathy Quach5Jean Pauline Serrano6Joanna Ramirez7Claudia M. Toledo-Corral8Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Corresponding author.Department of Child and Adolescent Development, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesDepartment of Child and Adolescent Development, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Health Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesHealth Equity Research & Education (HERE) Center, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesGlobally, the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has resulted in abrupt shifts in ecological and social environments, including school contexts, which became predominately virtual. This study (1) examines the role of the COVID-19 pandemic (transitioning to college prior to vs. during the COVID-19 pandemic) on cortisol awakening response (CAR) – a biological marker of chronic psychosocial stress – and university belonging among Latinx and Black first-year college students; and (2) explores whether university belonging serves as a mediator in the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and CAR. Latinx and Black students who were in their first semester at a four-year public university in Los Angeles County – one of the United States' hot spots for COVID-19, were recruited for this study. Across two separate cohorts (fall 2019, fall 2020), participants (N = 136) completed an online survey and provided salivary samples to assess for morning cortisol levels. Findings revealed that students who transitioned to college during the COVID-19 pandemic exhibited a flatter CAR and lower levels of belonging than students who transitioned to college prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for intervention, programs and policies aimed at fostering positive transitions to college during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond are discussed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622722000107COVID-19 pandemicTransition to collegeCortisol awakening responseUniversity belongingLatinx studentsBlack students |
| spellingShingle | Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado Shu-Sha Angie Guan Dianna Alvarado Julia Salcedo Amanda Thwaits Cathy Quach Jean Pauline Serrano Joanna Ramirez Claudia M. Toledo-Corral Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology COVID-19 pandemic Transition to college Cortisol awakening response University belonging Latinx students Black students |
| title | Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Cortisol awakening response among Latinx and Black students transitioning to college prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | cortisol awakening response among latinx and black students transitioning to college prior to and during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic Transition to college Cortisol awakening response University belonging Latinx students Black students |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622722000107 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yolandavasquezsalgado cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT shushaangieguan cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT diannaalvarado cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT juliasalcedo cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT amandathwaits cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT cathyquach cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT jeanpaulineserrano cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT joannaramirez cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic AT claudiamtoledocorral cortisolawakeningresponseamonglatinxandblackstudentstransitioningtocollegepriortoandduringthecovid19pandemic |