Perceived social support is associated differentially with cardiovascular risk factors in African American and white men and women
Sprung MR, Kisser J, Waldstein SR, Evans MK, Zonderman AB. Perceived social support is associated differentially with cardiovascular risk factors in African American and white men and women. Paper presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society; 14-17 March 2012; New Orleans. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2012;43:S17.
Low levels of social support have been associated with increased cardiovas- cular morbidity and mortality. Relatively less is known about the relation of social support to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and whether these associations differ as a function of race and sex. We examined whether perceived social support was associated with select cardiovascular risk factors in 1,703 community-dwelling, African American and White adults who were participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span Study after excluding for stroke, dementia, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, cancer, HIV+, and dialysis treatment (n=542). Partic- ipants underwent a medical history, physical examination, blood chemistries, clinical assessment of blood pressure, and completion of psychosocial meas- ures including emotional and instrumental support scales. Outcome variables included systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose levels, triglycerides, and total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol. Multiple regression analyses for each outcome variable were stratified by sex and race and adjusted for age, education, SES, cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities, antihypertensive and statin use, use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs, stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and BMI (where relevant). Results indicated that, in White women, higher levels of emotional support were associated with lower BMI (p=.024), waist circumference (p =.01), and triglyceride levels (p=.034); in addition, greater instrumental support was related to lower HDL cholesterol (p=.047). In African American women, greater instrumental support was associated with lower total choles- terol (p=.036). In African American men, instrumental support was associated with higher HDL cholesterol (p=.033). Thus, the relations of perceived social support to cardiovascular risk factors vary by race and sex. White women may obtain particular benefit from perceived interpersonal support.
Sprung MR, Kisser J, Waldstein SR, Evans MK, Zonderman AB. Perceived social support is associated differentially with cardiovascular risk factors in African American and white men and women. Paper presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society; 14-17 March 2012; New Orleans. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2012;43:S17.
Low levels of social support have been associated with increased cardiovas- cular morbidity and mortality. Relatively less is known about the relation of social support to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and whether these associations differ as a function of race and sex. We examined whether perceived social support was associated with select cardiovascular risk factors in 1,703 community-dwelling, African American and White adults who were participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span Study after excluding for stroke, dementia, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, cancer, HIV+, and dialysis treatment (n=542). Partic- ipants underwent a medical history, physical examination, blood chemistries, clinical assessment of blood pressure, and completion of psychosocial meas- ures including emotional and instrumental support scales. Outcome variables included systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose levels, triglycerides, and total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol. Multiple regression analyses for each outcome variable were stratified by sex and race and adjusted for age, education, SES, cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities, antihypertensive and statin use, use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs, stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and BMI (where relevant). Results indicated that, in White women, higher levels of emotional support were associated with lower BMI (p=.024), waist circumference (p =.01), and triglyceride levels (p=.034); in addition, greater instrumental support was related to lower HDL cholesterol (p=.047). In African American women, greater instrumental support was associated with lower total choles- terol (p=.036). In African American men, instrumental support was associated with higher HDL cholesterol (p=.033). Thus, the relations of perceived social support to cardiovascular risk factors vary by race and sex. White women may obtain particular benefit from perceived interpersonal support.
