Personality and casual blood pressure in school age children

Development of Autonomic Nervous System Responsitivity in Children: A Review of the Literature

This paper reviews the literature on Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) responsiveness in children. Normative developmental changes in cardiovascular activity (heart rate and blood pressure), electrodermal activity, and the dynamic balance between branches of the ANS are summarized. Several issues which appear to have potential for further developmental study are identified. Problems and limitations in the psychophysiological study of children are also discussed.

Psychosomatic and psychosocial symptoms are associated with low blood pressure in Swedish schoolchildren

BACKGROUND

The relation between psychosomatic and psychosocial symptoms and blood pressure was studied in Swedish schoolchildren.

METHODS

Blood pressure was measured in 122 healthy Swedish schoolchildren, aged 6-16 years. Psychosomatic and psychosocial symptoms, delinquent behaviour, parental health and employment status were assessed.

RESULTS

Children with systolic blood pressure above + 1 SD of mean reported significantly less symptoms (x = 1.4) than children with blood pressure below -1 SD of the mean (x = 2.7; p < 0.05). Children with three or more self-reported symptoms had significantly lower blood pressure than children without symptoms both in the supine (110 +/- 12 vs. 120 +/- 18 mm Hg; p < 0.05) and in the standing position (117 +/- 17 vs. 127 +/- 18 mm Hg; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that psychosomatic and psychosocial symptoms in children might be associated with low blood pressure.

Personality, behavior, family environment, family social status and hypertension risk factors in children. The Minneapolis Children's Blood Pressure Study

To assess the relationship of psychosocial variables to risk factors for hypertension in children, we administered instruments designed to measure aspects of children's personality, behavior, family environment and family social status to 1505 school children aged 7-10 years. Children's blood pressure was significantly related only to mother's occupation, the children of unskilled employees having higher blood pressure than children of higher status workers. Children's body mass index was directly related to scores on the conformity scale of the personality inventory and inversely related to scores on the intellectual-cultural orientation scale of the family environment instrument and to social class. Social status but not measured dimensions of children's personality, behavior and family environment may influence the risk of hypertension in children.