Abstract 214: Is Goal-Striving Stress Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Among Jackson Heart Study Participants?

Abstract

Introduction: It is known that psychosocial stress is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent research has reported that goal-striving stress (GSS) is associated with poor health outcomes for African Americans. GSS is the “¼discrepancy between aspiration and achievement, and the level of disappointment experienced if goals are not reached.” As far as we know, no research has examined the relationship between GSS and CVD prevalence among African Americans. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between GSS and CVD prevalence among a large sample of African Americans. Methods: The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) includes 5,181 men (37%) and women who completed a baseline survey to capture data on psychosocial variables, CVD history, demographic variables, and CVD risk factors. It was hypothesized that higher levels of GSS would be associated with CVD prevalence. The average GSS level was 4.49. GSS was categorized into tertiles with CVD prevalence and associations assessed cross-sectionally by multivariable logistic regression analysis that adjusted for demographic, behavioral and clinical risk factors. Results: It was found that GSS was significantly associated with CVD for tertiles 1, 2, and 3 at 41.26%, 36.25%, and 22.49% respectively. Additionally, GSS was significantly associated with CVD prevalence per unit increase after adjusting for age and sex (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.05), SES (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.05), and smoking, diet, physical activity, and sleep (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05). However, there was slight attenuation after adjustment for CVD risk factors (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.04). Conclusions: The present study represents an important contribution to the literature in that it appears to be the first to empirically investigate the link between GSS and CVD prevalence among African American men and women.