Interpersonal behavior and resting blood pressure in college women - A daily monitoring study

Psychological factors have long been implicated in the development of hypertension. Most studies exploring this relationship employed questionnaires administered on only one occasion. Objective: to evaluate the relation between blood pressure and social behavior in the natural environment over an extended period of time. Method: 40 healthy young adult women at varying risk for hypertension were asked to record their behavior and affect following social interactions, three times a day for 32 days. Behaviors were representative of the interpersonal circumplex: dominance, submissiveness, agreeableness, and quarrelsomeness. Results: Casual blood pressure was significantly correlated with submissive behavior (r=.45, P < .05) and inversely correlated with agreeable behavior (r= -.35, P < .05). ANOVAs confirmed these findings and further revealed that offspring of hypertensives with relatively elevated blood pressure were most quarrelsome. Conclusion: These results concur with the literature on the relationship between hostility and blood pressure but also suggest the importance of submissiveness in college women. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.