Hair cortisol analysis
One of my primary research interests is the physiologic impact of chronic stress on perinatal health outcomes. Hair cortisol is a long-term, non-invasive biomarker of stress. Cortisol is a hormone that increases when a person experiences a stressor. It is also a proxy measure for understanding stress function in the human body. There are other acute biomarkers of stress such as saliva, blood, and urine that measure immediate stress experiences (<24 hours). I am interested in better understanding the impact of chronic stress on perinatal health outcomes, refining methods for hair cortisol data collection, and the relationship between perceived and biological measures of stress. To date, my biomarker research includes exclusively hair cortisol measures from pregnant and postpartum people.
Collaborating Laboratories
Percieved Stress & Stress scales
My second primary research interest is understanding the lived experience of perinatal stress. Measuring perceived stress is a challenging, evolving, and critical aspect of stress and health research. Below are the two scales that I have used in my own work. In my research, these scales were triangulated with participant observation, biomarker data (hair cortisol samples), and qualitative interviews. Below are the two scales I have experience working with. I currently have two versions of each survey, one in English and one in Spanish (Puerto Rican dialect).
Cohen Perceived Stress Scale-10
The Perceived Stress Scale-10 is the most widely used measure of global perceived stress and is a robust predictor of health and disease. This measure assesses retrospective experiences of general stress within the last month. Click here for the scale.
Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire
The Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire was designed using focus group data from pregnant women and mothers. This measure assesses in-the-moment stress specific to the pregnancy and can be used to collect data in each trimester. Click here for this scale.
Cohen Perceived Stress Scale-10
The Perceived Stress Scale-10 is the most widely used measure of global perceived stress and is a robust predictor of health and disease. This measure assesses retrospective experiences of general stress within the last month. Click here for the scale.
Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire
The Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire was designed using focus group data from pregnant women and mothers. This measure assesses in-the-moment stress specific to the pregnancy and can be used to collect data in each trimester. Click here for this scale.