Peer Discrimination and Diurnal Cortisol Output in a Rural Boarding School in China: Empirical Findings and Methodological Considerations

Adolescents' experiences of discrimination and their health consequences are understudied in non-Western cultures. Using data from 90 rural Chinese adolescents (M-age = 13.70; 49% female), this study examined cumulative and daily experiences of peer discrimination (based on socioeconomic status, gender, parental migration status, appearance, grades) and their associations with diurnal cortisol output. Data highlighted a high prevalence of peer discrimination, with 85% of the sample reporting any type of cumulative discrimination in the current semester and 56% of the sample reporting any type of daily discrimination over three consecutive days. At the within-person level, daily peer discrimination (regardless of type) was associated with exaggerated cortisol functioning (i.e., more pronounced rise and fall as indicated by steeper slopes and lower bedtime levels) on the same day; daily discrimination based on parental migration status was also associated with higher cortisol awakening responses on the next day. At the between-person level, cumulative discrimination based on socioeconomic status and gender (but not other factors) was associated with exaggerated cortisol functioning (higher waking levels, steeper slopes). The study also offered a methodological example for collecting daily and cortisol data in rual boarding schools in China.