title: Study of the relationship between aggression and chronic diseases (diabetes and hypertension).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study focused on the widely examined psychosomatic diseases - diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension as chronic conditions. The Buss-Perry validated questionnaire was used in it to measure aggression in Bulgarian conditions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study aggression as a predictor and a connection of the chronic diseases diabetes and hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of the studied people was 142: 54 (38%) men and 88 (62%) women. Thirty-six of them had musculoskeletal disorders (77.8% women and 22.2% men), 54 had diabetes mellitus (29% women and 25% men) and 52 had hypertension (31% women and 21% men).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the statistical analysis of the data, the results from the Buss-Perry questionnaire were compared in the group of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus with chronic diseases, related to musculoskeletal disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in 95% of the cases between anger, hostility in patients with diabetes, hypertension and musculoskeletal disorders. The highest levels of physical aggression were observed in patients with arterial hypertension, M = 17.32 ± 0.86. The highest average levels of verbal aggression were observed in patients with diabetes, M = 15.24 ± 0.64. The highest levels of anger were observed with patients with hypertension, M = 17.96 ± 0.90, and hostility - in patients with hypertension, M = 19.15 ± 0.86. The comparison between the four Aggression Questionnaire scales showed statistically significant differences between the patients with musculoskeletal disorders and the ones with hypertension and diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tilov
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Semerdzhieva
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Desislava
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bakova
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Biyanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tornyova
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Drozdstoi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stoyanov
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Buss-Perry questionnaire; aggression; arterial hypertension; chronic diseases; diabetes mellitus; psychosomatics