Interpersonal behavior and resting blood pressure in college women - A daily monitoring study

Psychological factors have long been implicated in the development of hyper tension. Most studies exploring this relationship employed questionnaires a dministered on only one occasion. Objective: to evaluate the relation betwe en blood pressure and social behavior in the natural environment over an ex tended period of time. Method: 40 healthy young adult women at varying risk for hypertension were asked to record their behavior and affect following social interactions, three times a day for 32 days. Behaviors were represen tative of the interpersonal circumplex: dominance, submissiveness, agreeabl eness, and quarrelsomeness. Results: Casual blood pressure was significantl y correlated with submissive behavior (r=.45, P < .05) and inversely correl ated with agreeable behavior (r= -.35, P < .05). ANOVAs confirmed these fin dings and further revealed that offspring of hypertensives with relatively elevated blood pressure were most quarrelsome. Conclusion: These results co ncur with the literature on the relationship between hostility and blood pr essure but also suggest the importance of submissiveness in college women. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.