Type A behavior and its determinants in children, adolescents and young adults with and without parental coronary heart disease: a case-control study.
Healthy children, adolescents and young adults with parental coronary heart disease (CHD) (N = 78) were compared with their one-to-one matched controls without a parental CHD (N = 78) in terms of their psychological and behavioral characteristics. The variables adopted were Type A behavior, self-esteem, achievement striving, hyperactivity and social maladjustment. The results indicate a tendency for boys with parental CHD to be characterized by higher scores on Type A behavior, lower self-esteem and more intense striving for achievement compared to their matched controls. Girls with parental CHD differed from their matched controls in the predicted direction only in one respect: a higher level of hyperactivity was characteristic for cases.
Räikkönen
K
K
Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Keltikangas-Järvinen
L
L
Pietikäinen
M
M
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010553:Personality Development; D010556:Personality Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D014434:Type A Personality