Social factors mediating social class differences in blood pressure in a Jamaican community

Research on the factors mediating social class differences in blood pressure was carried out in a Jamaican community. It was found in a previous report that higher social class is related to lower blood pressure for females, while for males higher social class is related to higher blood pressure. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 1992-11, Vol.35 (10), p.1233-1244
Main Authors: Dressler, William W., Grell, Gerald A.C., Gallagher, Philip N., Viteri, Fernando E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anthropology. Demography
arterial blood pressure
arterial blood pressure social class Jamaica social factors
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Pressure
Class Differences
Female
Health Problems
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Hypertension - epidemiology
Hypertension - etiology
Hypertension - psychology
Jamaica
Jamaica - epidemiology
Life Style
Male
Mediators
Medical research
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Regression Analysis
Sex Factors
Sexes
Social Class
Social classes
social factors
Social Support
Stress
Stress, Psychological - complications
Tropical medicine
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Summary:Research on the factors mediating social class differences in blood pressure was carried out in a Jamaican community. It was found in a previous report that higher social class is related to lower blood pressure for females, while for males higher social class is related to higher blood pressure. These differences are examined in greater detail here, especially in terms of the historical context of the specific community studied, which is on the fringe of the Kingston urban area, and in terms of the continuing importance of a social class established under colonial rule. In the current study it is shown that social class differences in blood pressure for males are mediated by perceptions of social support. Social class differences in blood pressure for females are mediated by perceptions of economic stress. It is suggested that specific patterns of the growth of the vity, and the historically-based social class system, have resulted in the juxtaposition of lower and middle class Jamaicans within this community, who in turn are influenced by different factors affecting blood pressure.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/0277-9536(92)90177-R