COMPARISON OF FACTORS AFFECTING DAILY VARIATION OF BLOOD-PRESSURE IN FILIPINO-AMERICAN AND CAUCASIAN NURSES IN HAWAII

Although several studies have examined differences in daily blood pres sure variability between African-American and Caucasian groups in the United States, little is known about the blood pressure variation of o ther ethnic groups. This study examined the effects of emotional state , setting, posture, and ethnicity on the ambulatory blood pressure of female health care workers (nurses and nurse's aides) from 2 ethnic gr oups: Filipino-Americans (N = 38) and Caucasians (N = 22). Ambulatory blood pressure measurements were obtained at 15-min intervals during a typical work day. Participants reported in a diary their setting (wor k or home), posture, mood, and specific activity at each measurement. The effects of these factors and ethnicity were examined using analysi s of variance (ANOVA). The results show that for all subjects blood pr essure was higher at work (P < 0.05), while standing (P ( 0.05), durin g reports of negative moods (anxiety, anger, or sadness) (P < 0.05), a nd while engaging in activities such as interacting with fellow staff members at work and ''washing up'' at home. However, the Filipino-Amer ican women reported negative moods more frequently than their Caucasia n counterparts (P < 0.05), had a greater proportion of readings taken while standing at work, and reacted differently than the Caucasian wom en to some specific activities; for instance, their blood pressure was not elevated when doing household chores. These results suggest that the extent of blood pressure variation in daily life may depend upon c ognitive processes which are influenced by the cultural background and emotional state of the individual. They further suggest that ethnicit y has an important impact on blood pressure variation. (C) 1998 Wiley- Liss, Inc.