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The Relationship Between Psychosocial Status and Hypertensive Condition

  • Guidelines/Clinical Trials/Meta-Analysis (JB Kostis and W Kostis, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The aim of the paper is to test the influence of social status and psychological well-being (independent variables) on hypertensive condition (dependent variable), when adjusting for traditional risk factors of cardiovascular disease (control variables). The analysis is based on data collected from SEPHAR III, a nationally representative epidemiologic study of the Romanian adult population.

Recent Findings

Understanding the social roots of health issues is of considerable importance in developing effective strategies and policies. In this context, most studies explain the influence of social and psychological indicators on hypertension by considering the mediating effects of class-based lifestyle practices, i.e., the full range of economic, social, or symbolic resources available to particular social classes. However, the effect of traditional risk factors of cardiovascular disease in shaping the relationship between psychosocial status and hypertension has remained mostly unexplored.

Summary

The influence of socioeconomic status and psychological well-being on hypertensive condition is assimilated by age as a variable with both biological and social foundations. Age appears not only as a risk factor for high blood pressure but also as an emergent component of psychosocial status. Furthermore, people without higher education are more likely to be known hypertensives with uncontrolled blood pressure values. Social and economic vulnerabilities (e.g., age, education) are interrelated with several health conditions, which support the necessity to develop and implement integrated public policies based on interventions coordinated across several domains. Moreover, social and psychological determinants that predispose to certain health risks should be considered in medical practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Social Sciences, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Ștefania Matei

  2. Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Ștefania Matei, Stephen J. Cutler, Marian Preda & Corina Ilinca

  3. Department of Sociology, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA

    Stephen J. Cutler

  4. Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

    Maria Dorobanțu, Oana Gheorghe-Fronea, Luminița Rădulescu, Nicoleta Oprescu, Alexandru Deaconu & Bogdan Dorobanțu

  5. Emergency Clinical Hospital of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Luminița Rădulescu

  6. “Vasile Goldiş” Western University of Arad, Faculty of Medicine, Arad, Romania

    Corina Zorilă

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  1. Ștefania Matei
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  2. Stephen J. Cutler
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Correspondence to Ștefania Matei.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest relevant to this manuscript.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

The SEPHAR III survey study was approved by the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences, National Bioethics Committee for Medicine and Medical Devices (ref: 23SNI) and informed consent was obtained from all the subjects prior to participation in the study.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Guidelines/Clinical Trials/Meta-Analysis

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Matei, Ș., Cutler, S.J., Preda, M. et al. The Relationship Between Psychosocial Status and Hypertensive Condition. Curr Hypertens Rep 20, 102 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0902-y

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