Measuring allostatic load in children: Exploring the pathway between biomarkers and educational outcomes

Allostatic load is hypothesized to be the physiological costs of chronic exposure to the neuroendocrine stress response. It refers specifically to a composite index of indicators of cumulative strain on multiple organs and tissues which accumulates via the wear and tear associated with shifts in physiologic activity in response to chronic exposure to negative stimuli. There has been very little research exploring the valid measurement of the allostatic load or the relationship between allostatic load and child developmental outcomes. In this study, cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III biomarker data for children ages 8 to 16 years old and structural equation modeling were used to investigate the measurement of allostatic load and its impact on educational outcomes. Three alternative allostatic load measurement models were investigated, and one provided an adequate fit to the study data. The causal relationship between the allostatic load model, socioeconomic status and education outcomes was then investigated. Results indicated construct differences by sex and by race for females. Allostatic load in the male causal model was a small but significant predictor of absences and suspensions, but did not significantly predict reading and math scores. This work lays the foundation for future allostatic load measurement and outcome studies in children and adolescent populations. Recommendations for future research are discussed