Socioeconomic status, nocturnal blood pressure dipping, and psychosocial factors: a cross-sectional investigation in Mexican-American women.
BACKGROUND
Despite established links between reduced nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping and cardiovascular disease, BP dipping research in Hispanics is limited.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated socioeconomic status (SES) as a predictor of BP dipping and the contributions of psychosocial factors to this relationship. Analyses were conducted for the overall sample and separately for higher and lower acculturated women.


METHODS
Mexican-American women (N = 291; 40-65 years) reported demographics and completed psychosocial assessments and 36-h ambulatory BP monitoring.


RESULTS
Lower SES related to reduced BP dipping in the overall sample and in more US-acculturated women (r's = .17-.30, p's < .05), but not in less-acculturated women (r's = .07, p's > .10). An indirect effect model from SES to BP dipping via psychosocial resources/risk fits well across samples.


CONCLUSIONS
In Mexican-American women, the nature of SES gradients in BP dipping and the roles of psychosocial resources/risk differ by acculturation level.
Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
Addie L
AL
Fortmann
Linda C
LC
Gallo
Scott C
SC
Roesch
Paul J
PJ
Mills
Elizabeth
E
Barrett-Connor
Greg A
GA
Talavera
John P
JP
Elder
Karen A
KA
Matthews
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires