BLOOD-PRESSURE AND SELF-CONCEPT AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

Differences in blood pressure among individuals of African ancestry li ving in the United States compared with those living in Africa suggest that the high prevalence of hypertension among African Americans may be due in part to environmental factors. There are a number of environ mental models that attempt to account for the high rate of hypertensio n among African Americans. One model proposes that a strong African se lf-concept protects African-American adolescents from the hypertensive effects of social stress. This model was tested during a blood pressu re survey of 333 adolescents in three urban las Angeles high schools. African self-concept was assessed using a three-item scale. The averag e score for the three items was strongly related to systolic blood pre ssure among African-American male adolescents. After controlling for a ge, body mass index, and parent's education in regression analyses, th e relation was reduced, but an effect remained. The model suggests tha t: the hypertensive effects of the environment will operate unless the pathway from environmental stress to hypertension is blocked by a str ong African-American self-concept.