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Low educational attainment, John Henryism, and cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from personally relevant stress.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Merritt, MM; Bennett, GG; Williams, RB; Sollers, JJ; Thayer, JF
Published in: Psychosom Med
2004

OBJECTIVE: The John Henryism hypothesis proposes that a high level of John Henryism (JH: high-effort coping with psychosocial demands) is predictive of hypertension at low but not high socioeconomic status (SES). The objectives of the present study were to determine whether high JH and low SES (education, income, job status, and job strain) were associated with increased cardiovascular responses to laboratory social stressors. METHODS: Subjects were 58 normotensive, healthy black men age 23 to 47 years. The procedure included the completion of psychosocial questionnaires and participation in a psychophysiological reactivity protocol. The reactivity protocol involved the following experimental tasks and associated recovery periods: an active speech task and an anger recall task. Measures of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product (RPP) were obtained continuously using a Finapres beat-to-beat blood pressure monitor throughout the reactivity protocol. RESULTS: At high JH, low (compared with high) education level was linked with higher DBP during anger recall and final recovery, higher SBP during final recovery, and higher HR and RPP during speech preparation and final recovery (p <.05). Among subjects with low education, high (vs. low) JH was associated with higher SBP, HR, and RPP during final recovery (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: John Henryism may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease among people with low education by increased cardiovascular reactivity and prolonged recovery to stress.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Psychosom Med

DOI

EISSN

1534-7796

Publication Date

2004

Volume

66

Issue

1

Start / End Page

49 / 55

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Speech
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Risk Factors
  • Psychiatry
  • Prejudice
  • Occupations
  • North Carolina
  • Models, Psychological
  • Middle Aged
 

Citation

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Merritt, M. M., Bennett, G. G., Williams, R. B., Sollers, J. J., & Thayer, J. F. (2004). Low educational attainment, John Henryism, and cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from personally relevant stress. Psychosom Med, 66(1), 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000107909.74904.3d
Merritt, Marcellus M., Gary G. Bennett, Redford B. Williams, John J. Sollers, and Julian F. Thayer. “Low educational attainment, John Henryism, and cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from personally relevant stress.Psychosom Med 66, no. 1 (2004): 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000107909.74904.3d.
Merritt MM, Bennett GG, Williams RB, Sollers JJ, Thayer JF. Low educational attainment, John Henryism, and cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from personally relevant stress. Psychosom Med. 2004;66(1):49–55.
Merritt, Marcellus M., et al. “Low educational attainment, John Henryism, and cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from personally relevant stress.Psychosom Med, vol. 66, no. 1, 2004, pp. 49–55. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000107909.74904.3d.
Merritt MM, Bennett GG, Williams RB, Sollers JJ, Thayer JF. Low educational attainment, John Henryism, and cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from personally relevant stress. Psychosom Med. 2004;66(1):49–55.

Published In

Psychosom Med

DOI

EISSN

1534-7796

Publication Date

2004

Volume

66

Issue

1

Start / End Page

49 / 55

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Speech
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Risk Factors
  • Psychiatry
  • Prejudice
  • Occupations
  • North Carolina
  • Models, Psychological
  • Middle Aged