Ethnic differences in cardiovascular responses to laboratory stress: a comparison between asian and white americans.
Compared to other ethnic groups, Asian Americans show significantly lower rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We tested the hypothesis that Asian Americans would show reduced cardiovascular responses to laboratory stressors than Caucasians. Forty-three Asians (18 men, 25 women) and 77 Caucasians (36 men, 41 women) with a mean age of 24 years (SD = 3.93) participated in a stress reactivity protocol consisting of four tasks (speech, serial subtraction, mirror tracing, handgrip) while heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured. Asian Americans demonstrated overall lower reactivity across tasks for SBP F(1,117 = 7.48, p < .01) and a trend toward lower HR response F(1,117 = 3.18, p < .10). A significant ethnicity by task interaction was observed for HR reactivity F(3,351 = 2.94, p < .05) such that Caucasians showed greater responses for the subtraction task.
Shen
Biing-Jiun
BJ
Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Florida 33124-2070, USA. bshen@miami.edu
Stroud
Laura R
LR
Niaura
Raymond
R
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013060:Speech; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*