Coping mechanisms, perception of health and cardiovascular dysfunction in Africans

• Published in: International journal of psychophysiology Vol. 61; no. 2; pp. 158 - 166
• Main Authors: Malan, Leoné, Schutte, Aletta Elisabeth, Malan, Nicolaas Theodor, Wissing, Maria Philipina, Vorster, Hester Hendrina, Steyn, Hendrik Stefanus, van Rooyen, Johannes Marthinus, Huisman, Hugo Willem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 01-08-2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological - physiology; Adolescent; Adult; African Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Africans; Aged; Arousal - physiology; Attitude to Health; Avoidance Learning - physiology; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - physiology; Cardiac Output - physiology; Coping; Cross-Sectional Studies; Defense Mechanisms; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - physiopathology; Hypertension - psychology; Male; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Perception of health; Personality Inventory; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Renin; Renin - blood; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; South Africa; Stroke Volume - physiology; Vascular reactivity; Vascular Resistance - physiology; South Africa; Hypertension; Africans; Renin; Coping; Vascular reactivity; Perception of health; Human; Enzyme; Health; Cardiovascular disease; African; Peptidases; Reactivity; Dysfunction; Hydrolases; Perception; Aspartic endopeptidases
• ISSN: 0167-8760; 1872-7697
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2005.07.015

The purpose of this study was to compare active and passive coping strategies of Africans with perception of own health and cardiovascular data. The subjects included 236 apparently healthy Africans (men
=
109; women
=
127). The COPE questionnaire was adapted, translated and validated for Africans. Scores on reliable sub-scales were used to classify men and women into more active coping (AC) and more passive coping (PC) subgroups. The General Health Questionnaire measured subjective perception of health. Blood pressure was recorded before and during application of the handgrip test, using the Finapres, a continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitor. Plasma renin activity (PRA) values, measured with radio immuno assay, were compared to blood pressure variables. Analyses of co-variance, adjusted for resting values and age, indicated that PC men responded with a larger increase in total peripheral resistance (TPR) (
p
=
0.006), larger decrease in stroke volume (
p
=
0.07), smaller increase in cardiac output (
p
=
0.09) and larger increases in PRA resting (
p
=
0.04) and reactivity (
p
≤
0.05) values. PC subjects reported a more negative perception of health than AC subjects. Young PC women presented greater hypertension prevalence rates (
p
≤
0.01) than AC women. In conclusion, all AC and PC subjects reacted with increased vascular reactivity on the handgrip test. PC men presented enhanced vascular reactivity, PRA and perception of poorer health values.