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The Framingham Type A behaviour pattern and coronary heart disease in three countries: a cross-cultural comparison
D H Sykes1, U Haertel, A Gostautas
1School of Psychology, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Insights
This study found the Framingham Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) scale is valid across Germany, Lithuania, and Northern Ireland. Higher scores on key risk factors like hard driving and impatience were observed in Lithuanian and Northern Irish populations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychology
- Cross-cultural research
Background:
- The Framingham Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality.
- Cardiovascular disease mortality rates vary significantly across different countries.
- Understanding cultural influences on TABP is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cross-cultural validity of the Framingham TABP scale.
- To examine variations in TABP scores among populations in Germany, Lithuania, and Northern Ireland.
- To explore the relationship between TABP levels and differing cardiovascular disease mortality rates.
Main Methods:
- A cross-cultural study was conducted using the Framingham TABP scale.
- The study included participants from Germany, Lithuania, and Northern Ireland.
- Factorial structure and score variations were analyzed across the three countries.
Main Results:
- The Framingham TABP scale demonstrated a consistent factorial structure (work pressure, hard driving, impatience) across all three countries, supporting its cross-cultural validity.
- Significant variations in TABP scores were found between the populations for both men and women (multivariate P < 0.0001).
- Lithuanian and Northern Irish individuals scored substantially higher on hard driving and impatience compared to Germans.
Conclusions:
- The Framingham TABP scale is a valid measure for assessing Type A behaviour patterns across diverse cultural settings.
- Significant cross-cultural differences in specific TABP components, particularly hard driving and impatience, exist between Germany, Lithuania, and Northern Ireland.
- These variations in behaviour patterns may contribute to the observed differences in ischaemic heart disease mortality rates among these populations.
Abstract:
The Framingham Type A behaviour pattern (TABP), a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality, was examined in a cross-cultural study involving three countries known to differ in cardiovascular disease mortality, namely Germany, Lithuania and Northern Ireland. The factorial structure of the Framingham TABP scale was strikingly similar in the three countries, with three factors (work pressure, hard driving, and impatience) identified; evidence for the cross-cultural validity of the scale. Scores on all three factors showed considerable variation between the three populations for both men (multivariate P < 0.0001) and women (multivariate P < 0.0001). Of particular note, on the two factors, hard driving and impatience, thought to be core pathogenic elements in the TABP complex, Lithuanian and Northern Irish males and females scored substantially higher than their German counterparts. These cross-cultural variations in levels of risk are discussed in the context of the different ischaemic heart disease mortality rates in the three countries.