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Effects of racist provocation and social support on cardiovascular reactivity in african american women

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Abstract

It has been speculated that exposure to the chronic stress of racism contributes to the high rates of hypertension among African Americans. Social support may buffer the effects of stress on cardiovascular (CV) health by attenuating stress-induced CV responses that have been linked to hypertension. In this study we investigated the effects of racism and social support on CV reactivity in African American women. Participants showed greater increases in CV and emotional responses while responding and listening to racist provocation. Augmented blood pressure (BP) persisted through recovery following racial stress. Participants receiving no support showed the greatest increases in anger during racist provocation. No significant effects were seen for support on CV reactivity. These results provide some of the first evidence that interactive confrontation with racism elicits significant increases in CV reactivity and emotional distress. Furthermore, individuals receiving less support may be at greater risk for the potentially health-damaging effects of racial stress. These findings may have significant implications for the health of African Americans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology and Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3003, 27710, Durham, NC, USA

    Maya Dominguez McNeilly

  2. Department of Psychology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA

    Maya Dominguez McNeilly

  3. Department of Psychology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA

    Elwood L. Robinson, Pamela Martin, Dreama Jackson, Terrence D. Saulter & Cynthia White

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Norman B. Anderson, Akbar Shah & Paul S. Toth

  5. Department of Community and Family Medicine, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA

    Carl F. Pieper & Magaratha Kuchibatla

  6. Department of Psychology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Shirley M. Collado

  7. Hypertension Center, Cornell University Medical Center, New York Hospital, New York, NY, USA

    William Gerin

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  1. Maya Dominguez McNeilly
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  2. Elwood L. Robinson
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  3. Norman B. Anderson
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  4. Carl F. Pieper
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  7. Pamela Martin
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  11. Magaratha Kuchibatla
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  13. William Gerin
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Additional information

This research was supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH), NHLBI FIRST AWARD, grant HL462I8-03; an NIH, NHLBI grant HL41335; and an NIH, NIA grant P20AG12058.

We acknowledge the exceptional assistance of Laura Winnie, along with Jaye Efiand, Sanjay Vanguri, Emily Spilseth, Dawn Bodo, and Tounya Ebanks in the preparation and conduct of this study.

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McNeilly, M.D., Robinson, E.L., Anderson, N.B. et al. Effects of racist provocation and social support on cardiovascular reactivity in african american women. Int. J. Behav. Med. 2, 321–338 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm0204_3

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