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Aggression and cardiovascular response in children
Kerri M Schneider1, Linda Nicolotti, Alan Delamater
1University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA.
Objective:
To examine cardiovascular response as a function of children's aggression after controlling for the effects of known risk factors.
Method:
Participants were 140 children in second, fourth, and sixth grades. Teachers completed the Matthews Youth Test for Health, a measure that includes questions pertaining to children's aggression. Measures of blood pressure and heart rate were obtained during baseline, academic quiz, and recovery.
Results:
Increasing age and body mass index were associated with increased cardiovascular responses. Aggressive children exhibited higher heart rates at baseline and lower heart rate reactivity. Aggressive children with a positive parent history of hypertension exhibited the greatest cardiovascular response.
Conclusions:
These results provide further support for the identification of behavioral factors that increase cardiovascular risk in children.