CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY AND ADOLESCENT BOYS PHYSICAL HEALTH

Objective. Minor illnesses and major diseases are affected by individu al, environmental, and social factors. The purpose of the study was to determine if cardiovascular reactivity, an individual characteristic, was related to adolescent boys' health status and behaviors. Methods. A total of 89 low socioeconomic status 16-year-old boys who had been classified using teacher ratings during childhood as anxious, disrupti ve, anxious-disruptive, or normal participated in a laboratory stress experiment. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure were measured during the Social Competence Interview. Using the upper and lower quartiles of SBP change scores, 21 boys were classified as reactors and 20 boys were classified as nonreactors. Subjects were int erviewed to assess health behaviors and outcomes, as well as stressful life events. Results. No significant group differences were found for minor or major physical health problems. A logistic regression analys is indicated that risky health behaviors were associated with SBP reac tivity, personality characteristics, and negative life events. Specifi cally, nonreactors, who were disruptive, had more negative life events and engaged in more health-compromising behaviors leg, smoking cigare ttes, unprotected sex), which may contribute to future health problems leg, cancer, AIDS). Anxious individuals may be more vulnerable to car diovascular diseases in part because of exaggerated cardiovascular rea ctivity to stress. Conclusion. Low socioeconomic status boys may be at risk for different health problems caused by differing personality ch aracteristics associated with divergent health-related behaviors.