The effect of receiving mobile text messages on salivary cortisol levels in physiology students at the University of the Free State

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dc.contributor.advisorGerber, A. M.
dc.contributor.advisorVorster-De Wet, P. C.
dc.contributor.authorVenter, Francois Petrus
dc.date.accessioned2019-12-05T13:01:46Z
dc.date.available2019-12-05T13:01:46Z
dc.date.issued2019-06
dc.description.abstractObjective: Texting has become central to social life, especially among young adults. It has been shown that texting has an adverse effect on physiological functioning. This study investigated the effect of receiving mobile text messages on salivary cortisol levels in undergraduate Physiology students. Methods: This protocol was set as an experimental, crossover, quantitative study. Respondents (men age: M = 20.5, SD = 1.34; women age: M = 20.7, SD = 1.69) participated in the study over two consecutive study days, receiving the intervention (receiving mobile text messages) on one day and acting as their own control on the other day. Self-reported data and saliva samples were collected during the study to assess salivary cortisol levels. Anxiety, depression and stress levels as well as the respondents’ subjective experience of the study were determined. Text frequency (number of text messages received) and text emotions (words with a neutral, positive or negative connotation) were varied among respondents. Results: Salivary cortisol levels did not differ significantly between the intervention and control days. High anxiety levels were associated with increased salivary cortisol levels. No associations with salivary cortisol levels were documented in low to moderate anxiety levels, stress, depression or how respondents subjectively experienced the intervention. There was no significant difference between text frequency, text emotion and the change in cortisol levels on the intervention day. Conclusion: The results in this study indicate that receiving mobile text messages did not elicit a significant cortisol response in respondents.en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11660/10398
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherUniversity of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.rights.holderUniversity of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectDissertation (M.Med. (Physiology))--University of the Free State, 2019en_ZA
dc.subjectTextingen_ZA
dc.subjectSalivary cortisolen_ZA
dc.subjectDepressionen_ZA
dc.subjectStressen_ZA
dc.subjectSubjective experienceen_ZA
dc.subjectText frequencyen_ZA
dc.subjectText emotionen_ZA
dc.subjectLectureen_ZA
dc.subjectHospital Anxiety and Depression Scaleen_ZA
dc.subjectPerceived Stress Scaleen_ZA
dc.titleThe effect of receiving mobile text messages on salivary cortisol levels in physiology students at the University of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.typeDissertationen_ZA
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