Poverty, caregiving, and HPA-axis activity in early childhood

• Published in: Developmental review 2020-06, Vol.56, p.100898, Article 100898
• Main Authors: Holochwost, Steven J., Towe-Goodman, Nissa, Rehder, Peter D., Wang, Guan, Roger Mills-Koonce, W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregiving behaviors; Early childhood; Early education; Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis; Parenting; Poverty
• ISSN: 0273-2297; 1090-2406
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100898

•Poverty is associated with HPA-axis activity in young children.•Theory suggests caregiving behaviors mediate this association.•We review the literature linking caregiving behaviors to HPA-axis activity.•We focus on caregiving behaviors in the context of poverty.•Our review includes both parental and non-parental caregiving behaviors. The association between poverty and the activity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis in early childhood is well established. Both ecological and transactional theories suggest that one way in which poverty may influence children’s HPA-axis activity is through its effects on parents’ behaviors, and over the past three decades a substantial literature has accumulated indicating that variations in these behaviors are associated with individual differences in young children’s HPA-axis activity. More recent research suggests that non-parental caregiving behaviors are associated with HPA-axis activity in early childhood as well. Here we systematically review the literature on the association between both parental and non-parental caregiving behaviors in the context of poverty and the activity of the HPA-axis in early childhood. We conclude by noting commonalities across these two literatures and their implications for future research.