Relationship between family environment and children's hemodynamic responses to stress: a longitudinal evaluation

Because interpersonal relationships may have an impact on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the authors examined the prospective relationship of family functioning upon hemodynamic stress responses in 87 6- to 8-year-old children. The parents completed the cohesion, conflict, expressiveness, and control subscales of the Family Environment Scale; 2 years later, the authors assessed the children's hemodynamic responses to postural change, forehead cold stimulation, and treadmill exercise. Maternal reports of greater cohesion and expressiveness were related to less increases in systolic pressure and systemic vascular resistance in response to the forehead cold. Mothers' reports of expressiveness were related to lower systolic pressure and cardiac index reactivity to postural change. Fathers' reports of greater control were associated with greater diastolic pressure and vascular resistance increases to forehead cold and to greater vascular resistance responses to exercise. Paternal reports of greater conflict were associated with greater systemic vascular resistance increases and with lower cardiac index increases to exercise. Results suggest family functioning may predict later hemodynamic reactivity to stress. The findings are discussed in terms of previous research on parent-child interaction patterns and children's cardiovascular health.