Anxiety sensitivity: Changes with puberty and cardiovascular variables

Background Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a relatively stable dispositional variable that may increase the risk for anxiety‐related symptoms, particularly panic attack, among individuals of all age groups. Changes in AS during adolescence in healthy individuals, however, has not been previously investi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics international 2015-02, Vol.57 (1), p.49-54
Main Authors: Akca, Ömer Faruk, Aac Vural, Tuba, Turkolu, Serhat, Kilic, Emine Zinnur
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Anxiety
Anxiety - complications
Anxiety - physiopathology
anxiety sensitivity
Blood pressure
Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - physiopathology
Cardiovascular Diseases - psychology
Child
Child development
Child psychology
Female
Humans
Male
Pediatrics
puberty
Puberty - physiology
pulse rate
Reference Values
Sexual Maturation - physiology
Teenagers
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Summary:Background Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a relatively stable dispositional variable that may increase the risk for anxiety‐related symptoms, particularly panic attack, among individuals of all age groups. Changes in AS during adolescence in healthy individuals, however, has not been previously investigated. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the relationship of AS with puberty level, pulse rate, and blood pressure in healthy adolescents. Methods The sample consisted of 133 healthy adolescents (70 boys, 63 girls) aged 10–17 years. Puberty stage (i.e. Tanner stage), pulse rate, and blood pressure of each participant were determined. The Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory was used to identify AS. The correlations between AS and the clinical variables were assessed. Results AS was negatively correlated with pubertal stage when age and gender were controlled. Also, AS was correlated with diastolic blood pressure when age, gender, and pubertal stage were controlled (P < 0.05). Neither systolic blood pressure nor heart rate were correlated with AS. Conclusion AS, which is reported to be a trait‐like variable, may change during adolescence, due to the effect of pubertal growth and blood pressure interacting with AS during adolescence.
ISSN:1328-8067
1442-200X
DOI:10.1111/ped.12443