Jk. Murphy et al., WHEN TO MEASURE RESTING VALUES IN STUDIES OF CHILDRENS CARDIOVASCULARREACTIVITY, Journal of behavioral medicine, 17(5), 1994, pp. 501-510
Investigations suggesting that the order of obtaining resting and card
iovascular reactivity measurements moderates values have provided inco
nsistent results and have not analyzed data from children; the general
izability of results is uncertain. In this investigation, all children
enrolled in the eighth-grade classrooms of the public schools of an e
ntire county (n = 451) participated in standardized reactivity assessm
ents. The order of resting and reactivity measurements was randomized
by examination day (a total of 19 days). Analyses indicated that all c
omparisons of order effects on mean resting blood pressure and heart r
ate, as well as reactivity (both change from resting and absolute valu
es and both mean and maximal values), were nonsignificant. Results ind
icate that measurement order is not always a necessary consideration i
n studies of reactivity; the conditions under which measurement order
is a consideration requires clarification.