Circadian rhythms of salivary alpha amylase and salivary cortisol from caregivers of children with special health needs: a case-control study

• Grant number: 19/24975-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2021
• End date: March 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Pediatric Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Aline Cristiane Cavicchioli Okido
• Grantee: Aline Cristiane Cavicchioli Okido
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Carlos
• Associated researchers: Iran Malavazi ; LUIS CARLOS LOPES JUNIOR ; Regina Aparecida Garcia de Lima ; Wendy Looman

Abstract

To characterize the circadian rhythm of salivary ±-amylase and cortisol of caregivers of children with special health needs and to identify associated factors. Specific Objectives: To characterize the study participants according to socio demographic and clinical data; analyze the level of psychological stress from the Perceived Stress Scale; analyze the perception regarding the social support received; analyze the strategy of religious / spiritual coping; measure ±-amylase and salivary cortisol levels in four one-day periods (on awakening, 30 minutes after awakening, at noon, and at 8 pm); To determine the total daily production of ±-amylase and salivary cortisol and to compare circadian rhythms between "cases" and "controls". Method: Case-control study in which "caregivers" will be considered as caregivers of children with special health needs recruited from two care institutions that provide multidisciplinary care to this clientele. The control group will consist of caregivers of children not classified as children with special health needs, recruited from public elementary and elementary schools in the research municipality. Based on the sample calculation, a sample of 160 caregivers is estimated, of which 80 will represent the "cases" and another 80 the "controls". The "cases" and the "controls" will be matched by gender and age at a 1: 1 ratio. Data collection will be performed at home by applying a participant characterization instrument and subjective scales (Perceived Stress Scale; Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey; Brief Religious / Spiritual Coping Scale); and collection of four saliva samples at different times (on waking, 30 minutes after waking, at noon and at 20h) in order to characterize the stress biomarker circadian rhythms in these groups. Descriptive statistical analyzes will be performed to characterize the research participants, bivariate and multivariate. To measure the total daily production of ±-amylase and salivary cortisol will be used the Area under the Curve, calculated based on the log-trapezoidal method. All statistical analyzes will be conducted using the SAS System for Windows (Statistical Analysis System) software, version 9.2. (AU)