Differences in Self-Reported Stress Versus Hair and Nail Cortisol Among Adolescent and Young Adult Males.
Rebecca Schnall, Jianfang Liu, Evette Cordoba and 11 others
PMID 39103309WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescent and young adult males' self-reported stress scores did not line up with hair or nail cortisol.
Hair and nail cortisol did line up with each other, but a stress questionnaire should not be read as showing elevated cortisol.
Key findings
01Self-reported stress scores were not significantly related to hair cortisol or nail cortisol.
02Hair cortisol and nail cortisol values were significantly correlated.
03Heterosexual and sexual or gender minoritized groups did not differ in hair cortisol, nail cortisol, or perceived stress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 166 participants had both cortisol values and survey results merged; 209 had hair or nail cortisol values, and 43 could not be merged because of missing survey data. Some samples were not returned or were lost in shipping. The Perceived Stress Scale assessed stress over the last 30 days, which the authors state does not reflect chronic stress. The study is observational, so it cannot show that stress causes cortisol changes or that cortisol predicts health outcomes. Black participants were 8% of the sample, so the lower perceived stress score in Black participants may be coincidental.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that self-reported stress and hair or nail cortisol measure the same thing. The study found no significant relationship between perceived stress scores and either cortisol measure.