Salivary cortisol and social status among Dominican men

Studies of nonhuman primates indicate that social subordinance associates w ith chronic elevated cortisol, but this finding has not been replicated amo ng humans. This topic was examined in a study of 31 healthy adult male Domi nican villagers ages 17 to 49 years. Each subject's mean cortisol level was calculated using multiple time-standardized salivary cortisol samples (min imum = 6, mean = 14.8 samples per subject) determined by radioimmunoassay. Semistructured ethnographic interviews were used to collect several measure s of social status. Data were analyzed with a backward stepwise multivariat e linear regression model. Partial regression statistics revealed four sign ificant associations with cortisol: (i) men with reputations for illicit so cial behavior had higher cortisol; (ii) men who reported more frequent dist ressed mood had higher cortisol; (iii) men rated as less trustworthy, agree able, influential, and helpful by their peers had higher cortisol; and (iv) men whose fathers were absent as a childhood caretaker had higher cortisol . No associations were found between cortisol and (a) a composite of educat ional attainment, income, and material wealth; (b) frequency of tobacco con sumption; (c) frequency of perceived social stressors; or (d) a composite o f number of children and dependents. (C) Academic Press.