Abstract

Cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) measurements, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and preejection period (PEP), are valid and reliable indicators of children's sensitivity to stressors in their environment; however, there are few studies of RSA and PEP measures in children younger than three years of age and no known studies of children at 18-months of age. This was a cohort study of racially- and ethnically-diverse, low-income children studied from birth through five years of age. At 18-months (n = 134) and 36-months (n = 102) of age, children completed a developmentally challenging protocol that simultaneously assessed their RSA and PEP under resting and challenge conditions. Reactivity was calculated as the difference between challenge and resting measures. Four ANS profiles were created by dichotomizing reactivity, mean challenge minus rest, as positive or negative reactivity. This study revealed novel information about the distribution, stability, and continuity of RSA and PEP rest, challenge, and reactivity measures. There was a significantly different distribution of children among the ANS profiles from 18- to 36-months of age; although, there was some stability for the reciprocal PNS activation/SNS not activated profile. The relations between selected sociodemographic characteristics (biological sex, race, ethnicity, and federal poverty level (FPL)) and ANS profiles showed that their prevalence differed at 18- and 36-months of age. Logistic regression models revealed significant relationships between FPL and the coactivation and coinhibition profiles at 18-months and a borderline significant relationship between being Hispanic and the reciprocal SNS activation/PNS withdrawal profile at 36-months.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 22622500; ProQuest document ID: 2317915190. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Michelle Stephens, PhD, CPNP, RN, Co-Founder/CNO Oath Care

Sigma Membership

Alpha Eta

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Cohort

Research Approach

Quantitative Research

Keywords:

Autonomic Nervous System, Early Childhood, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, Preejection Period, Psychobiological

Advisor

Abbey Alkon

Second Advisor

Nicole Bush

Third Advisor

Sandra Weiss

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

University of California, San Francisco

Degree Year

2019

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2021-09-09

Full Text of Presentation

wf_yes

Download

Share

COinS