GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIANCE OF FRAMINGHAM AND BORTNER TYPE-A MEASURES

The object of the present study was to determine whether the non-genet ic variance of a Type A scale composed of Framingham and Bortner items had gender specific psychosocial components. The study was performed on a group of Swedish twins so that variance explained by heritability for Type A could first be removed from the equation. The overall Type A score had been found to relate to self-reported CHD in this populat ion. The dependent variable was the standardized score residual remain ing after removing the genetic variance (i.e., that explained by co-tw in score and zygosity). Multiple regression analyses revealed that the re were differences in the psychosocial components of the Type A resid ual in men and women. These results are discussed in terms of cultural ly accepted gender roles and their possible implications for health en dpoints.