Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39867845›Full record

ReviewBrain, behavior, & immunity - health2025

Measuring salivary cortisol in biobehavioral research: A systematic review and methodological considerations.

Fanghong Dong, Justine S Sefcik, Elizabeth Euiler, Nancy A Hodgson

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain, behavior, & immunity - health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Fanghong DongSchool of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
Justine S SefcikCollege of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Elizabeth EuilerCollege of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Nancy A HodgsonSchool of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.

Funding

A Person-Centered Environmental and Sensory Intervention for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia who Exhibit Persistent VocalizationsK23NR018673 · NINR · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · PI SEFCIK, JUSTINE SUZETTE · 2020 to 2022
$461k
NINR NIH HHS K23 NR018673
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The assessment of salivary cortisol in community settings has gained popularity in biobehavioral research due to its noninvasive sampling, ease of handling and storage, and suitability for repeated sampling in short intervals. Ensuring consistent methodological practices for salivary cortisol is essential. This systematic review critically examines salivary cortisol collection procedures, data cleaning, and analysis to better understand its role in biobehavioral research within community populations. Fifty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated significant variability in study designs and cortisol measurement procedures, particularly regarding the biobehavioral role of cortisol, sampling periods, covariate considerations, cortisol analysis parameters, and data analysis plans. The review highlights commonly used and promising study designs while identifying methodological issues in cortisol measurement and analysis that should be addressed to improve comparability in future research.

Indexed as

Biobehavioral researchCommunity settingSalivary cortisol

Identifiers

PMID39867845
PMCPMC11758133

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.