Anger expression, body fat, and blood pressure in adolescents: Project HeartBeat!

This study explores the potential influence of growth, body/composition, an d sexual maturity on the relation of anger expression and blood pressure in adolescents. Baseline data from Project HeartBeat! (82 boys and 85 girls, 14 years of age) examined the ability of anger expression (STAXI scale) to predict blood pressure, after controlling for the effects of ethnicity (Afr ican-American/ non-African-American), height, weight, percentage body fat, and sexual maturity. Blood pressures were unrelated to anger expression in models that included the above developmental variables. However, girls scor ing high on healthy anger expression ("anger-control") had significantly lo wer levels of percentage body fat (P = 0.015) independent of the above fact ors. The literature suggests that body fat or body mass is often, though no t unanimously, associated with unhealthy forms of anger expression in adole scents. Research is required into the biological, social, and behavioral or igins of the association between body fat and anger expression. Height and sexual maturity, virtually ignored in this literature, should be included i n future research. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.