title: Behavioral and perceived stressor effects on urinary catecholamine excretion in adult Samoans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of perceptions and behaviors related to culturally patterned socioeconomic obligations on catecholamine excretion rates were studied in a cross-sectional sample of Samoan adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 378 participants, ages 29-62 years, from 9 villages throughout Samoa, provided timed overnight urine specimens, and self-reported perceptions and behaviors associated with contributions to one's family, aiga, and chief, matai, and communal gift exchanges, fa'alavelave. Urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine excretion rates were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Age (≤40 vs. >40 years) and gender-specific regression models were estimated to detect associations with catecholamine excretion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Young women who contribute more to their matai, who consider fa'alavelave to be a financial strain, and who view their contribution to their matai to be "just right," had significantly higher residence-adjusted norepinephrine excretion. Young women who contribute more to their matai, who consider fa'alavelave to be a financial strain, and who consider their contribution to their aiga not to be a burden, had higher epinephrine excretion. Older men who contribute more to their aiga and who perceive their contribution to their aiga to be "just right" had increased residence-adjusted epinephrine excretion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individual-level perceptions and behaviors related to traditional socioeconomic obligations are a significant correlate of increased overnight catecholamine excretion rates. Higher excretion rates may be attributed to psychosocial stress arousal associated with a discordance between personal desires for upward social mobility, and family and community-based socioeconomic obligations. Changes in patterns of individual-level psychosocial stress arousal may contribute to cardiovascular disease risk in modernizing Samoans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and International Health Institute, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Meredith R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bergey
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bereiter
authors.forename: Satupaitea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Viali
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: McGarvey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002110:Caffeine / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D037921:Gift Giving; D006801:Humans; D014905:Independent State of Samoa / Q000208:ethnology; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000652:urine*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine