title: Social support buffering of the relation between low income and elevated blood pressure in at-risk African-American adults.
abstract: Socioeconomic disadvantage has been linked to elevated blood pressure (BP), and the purpose of this study was to assess whether interpersonal social supports buffer these adverse relations in African-American adults. In three communities matched demographically, a subsample of participants (N = 204) of the Positive Action for Today's Health trial provided measures of perceived social support, annual household income, and BP. Multiple regression analyses with cross-product interactions were conducted using follow-up data. The sample had a mean age of 52.8 years (SD = 15.1), and was predominantly female (66 %) with a high body mass index (M = 33.5, SD = 14.7). Results indicated an inverse relation between social support and diastolic BP (B = -.178, p = .005), and also an interaction with income (p = .046), such that higher social support related to lower diastolic BP in the lowest-income individuals (B = -1.05). The same direct (B = -.141, p = .025) and interacting (B = -1.42, p = .040) social support effects were present for systolic BP, however the omnibus model for systolic BP was not significant, F(6, 196) = 1.80, p = .09. The hypothesized buffering effect of social support on the adverse relation of income to BP was partially supported in at-risk African-American adults. Future prevention efforts for reducing the impact of socioeconomic stress on BP may aim to increase perceptions of social support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. coulon@mailbox.sc.edu.|Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA. coulon@mailbox.sc.edu.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States
keywords: African-American; Blood pressure; Buffering; Income; Social support; Socioeconomic status