Life events stress, subjective appraisal and somatization in hypertension: a pilot study

The present pilot study was designed as a multivariate test of stress as a factor in hypertension. A model is proposed that includes family history of hypertension, high life stress exposure, the subjective appraisal of being under considerable stress, and the tendency to somatize stress cardiovascularly. Health risk behaviors frequently implicated in hypertensive disease were also measured. A sample of 76 low income black adults were interviewed privately and classified into two groups on the basis of "no elevated blood pressure readings" or "1 + elevated readings." Univariate comparisons generally supported the hypotheses. Multivariate stepwise discriminant analyses also were conducted as a stricter test of the model. Six factors were identified as the major discriminators between the groups: cardiovascular and renal symptoms, family history of high blood pressure, proportion of negative to total life change events, and electrodermal and gastrointestinal somatic reactions. Age and positive life stress experiences were also important discriminators.