Cardiovascular responses to a laboratory stressor in women: Assessing the role of body awareness.
Body awareness (BA) is characterised by a general tendency towards awareness and recognition of normal, non-emotive bodily processes and physical sensations. BA considers one's sensitivity towards and belief in how well they can sense, predict, and describe their bodily functions and sensations. This study investigated the role of BA in haemodynamic and anxiety responses to a laboratory stressor. Women (n= 40) completed assessments of BA and state/trait anxiety. Women with low BA displayed higher blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) reactivity in response to the stressor than women with high BA. Delayed HR recovery poststressor was observed in women with low BA. BA was a significant predictor of haemodynamic reactivity over and above trait anxiety. BA effects on state anxiety were not observed. Thus, greater BA is associated with less haemodynamic stress reactivity in women lending further support for the development of BA interventions aimed at stress reduction.
Women's Health Lab, School of Psychology, Family, and Community, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA; School of Nursing & Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
M Kathleen B
MK
Lustyk
Women's Health Lab, School of Psychology, Family, and Community, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA.
Haley A C
HA
Douglas
Women's Health Lab, School of Psychology, Family, and Community, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA.
Jacob A
JA
Bentley
Women's Health Lab, School of Psychology, Family, and Community, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA.
Winslow G
WG
Gerrish
Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT); anxiety; body awareness; cardiovascular reactivity; mindfulness; women
Subst Abus. 2009 Oct-Dec;30(4):295-305
19904665
Psychosom Med. 2002 Nov-Dec;64(6):851-61
12461189
Percept Mot Skills. 1977 Apr;44(2):367-73
866038
Physiol Rev. 2007 Jul;87(3):873-904
17615391
Altern Ther Health Med. 2005 Sep-Oct;11(5):46-57
16189948
Behav Res Ther. 2008 Mar;46(3):296-321
18258216
Behav Res Ther. 2010 Jun;48(6):495-505
20303471
J Physiol Anthropol Appl Human Sci. 2004 Nov;23(6):215-23
15599065
Assessment. 2006 Mar;13(1):27-45
16443717
Dev Psychopathol. 2001 Spring;13(2):183-214
11393643
Am J Health Behav. 2008 Jan-Feb;32(1):83-92
18021036
Biol Psychol. 2010 Feb;83(2):84-92
19922766
Behav Res Ther. 2007 Aug;45(8):1921-30
17087914
Psychol Bull. 1984 Nov;96(3):435-64
6393178
Psychophysiology. 2005 Jan;42(1):108-15
15720586
Behav Res Ther. 1999 Dec;37(12):1141-58
10596462
Psychosom Med. 2001 Jul-Aug;63(4):585-94
11485112
Psychosom Med. 2001 Sep-Oct;63(5):697-710
11573016
Int J Psychophysiol. 2007 Aug;65(2):167-73
17449123
Psychosom Med. 2006 Jul-Aug;68(4):531-7
16868261
Nat Neurosci. 2004 Feb;7(2):189-95
14730305
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2006 Feb;31(2):151-78
16139959
Emotion. 2010 Feb;10(1):25-33
20141299
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2007 Dec;2(4):313-22
18985137
Behav Res Methods. 2007 May;39(2):175-91
17695343
J Natl Med Assoc. 2007 Jun;99(6):642-9
17595933
Arch Intern Med. 1993 Sep 27;153(18):2093-101
8379800
J Trauma Stress. 2004 Apr;17(2):163-71
15141790