title: The psychosocial vulnerability model of hostility as a predictor of coronary heart disease in low-income African Americans.
abstract: The current study examined social support and stress as mediators of the hostility-coronary heart disease (CHD) relationship as suggested by the psychosocial vulnerability model in a sample of low-income African Americans. Among 95 CHD patients and 30 healthy controls, hostility was negatively correlated with social support, but was not related to minor stress. CHD patients endorsed higher levels of hostility; however, the relationship between hostility and CHD status was diminished once stress and social support were included in the model. This study lends partial support for the psychosocial vulnerability model of hostility in African Americans, but suggests that the relationship between hostility and stress may be impacted by socioeconomic status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS 39047, USA. kbgrothe@gmail.com
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Grothe
authors.forename: Jamie S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bodenlos
authors.forename: Dori
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: Jake
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olivier
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brantley
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology