The diurnal course of salivary alpha-amylase in nurses: an investigation of potential confounders and associations with stress.

In psychoneuroendocrinology research, salivary measures have become increasingly important. While several studies focus on determinants of salivary cortisol such as age, gender, and gynaecological variables, less research has focused on confounding variables of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA). In a large sample of nurses (N=215) we analyzed the impact of age, gender, intake of oral contraceptives, smoking, coffee consumption as well as psychological parameters, such as work stress and burnout, on basal diurnal sAA release.

Elevated diurnal salivary cortisol in nurses is associated with burnout but not with vital exhaustion.

Studies on HPA axis regulation in burnout revealed heterogeneous results, possibly due to different psychometric and endocrine measurements, heterogeneous samples or small sample sizes. In the present study, the relationship between salivary cortisol during the day (four time points: 0700 h, 1130 h, 1730 h, and 2000 h) and burnout as well as vital exhaustion was investigated in a large sample of 279 nurses. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which includes scales for emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment.