MICROSTRESSORS, ANXIETY STYLES, AND MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS IN THE OCCURRENCE OF ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION.

Abstract

A study was done to investigate the contribution of small units of stress, anxiety, and demographic factors in the occurrence of various stress-related diseases. Three groups of thirty subjects each, having three distinct medical diagnoses categories (hypertensives, stress-related disorders, and general medical problems), were compared using a variety of anxiety and stress questionnaires. Subjects were matched in terms of sex, age, race, military history, and place of treatment. Devices administered to the subjects and used to compare the three groups included: A Sociodemographic Questionnaire; The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; The Cognitive-Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire, and The Hassles and Uplifts Scales. A comparison of groups via demographic factors indicated distinctive similarities between groups on most items except for educational background, obesity ratio, and family history of hypertension. Groups were not found to be significantly different from each other in terms of anxiety styles, and reported stressors and reinforcers on a discriminant function analysis. A multiple regression analysis of the hypertensive group revealed that age; reported stressors and reinforcers; family history of hypertension; cigarette smoking, and obesity contributed to this disease. Measures of actual stressors were proven to be more accurate than anxiety measures in predicting hypertension. Descriptive analysis of the three groups indicated that hypertensives reported a higher number of anxiety type stressors than the other two groups, and the stress-related groups reported more health-related complaints. Theories for the lack of significance between groups are provided as well as suggestions for future studies and applications.