Related Experiment Videos
Racism and ambulatory blood pressure in a community sample
Elizabeth Brondolo1, Daniel J Libby, Ellen-Ge Denton
1Department of Psychology, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA. brondole@stjohns.edu
Objective:
Racism has been identified as a psychosocial stressor that may contribute to disparities in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The goal of the present article was to investigate the relationship of perceived racism to ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in a sample of American-born Blacks and Latinos.
Methods:
Participants included English-speaking Black or Latino(a) adults between the ages of 24 and 65. They completed daily mood diaries and measures of perceived racism, socioeconomic status, and hostility. Participants were outfitted with ABP monitors; 357 provided data on waking hours only, and 245 provided data on both waking and nocturnal ABP.
Results:
Perceived racism was positively associated with nocturnal ABP even when controlling for personality factors and socioeconomic status.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that racism may influence cardiovascular disease risk through its effects on nocturnal BP recovery.
Related Concept Videos
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
Errors occurring during blood pressure monitoring
Several factors...
Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
Sites for measuring blood pressure
The Brachial Artery: Primary Site for Blood Pressure Measurement
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
Prepare for the Procedure:
Blood Pressure
The average BP in an adult is typically around 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). In this measurement, the numerator (120) indicates the systolic pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart's ventricles as blood is expelled. The denominator (80) represents the diastolic...