Abstract
This study examined gender differences in cardiovascular responses to laboratory-based stress, as well as in ambulatory hemodynamic (i.e., blood pressure and heart rate) functioning among caregivers of persons with dementia. Participants were 25 men and 25 women caregivers, matched on age, type of care recipient's dementia, and relationship to the care recipient. After cardiovascular reactivity to a laboratory-based caregiving stressor was assessed, the ambulatory hemodynamic functioning levels of caregivers were measured in caregivers' natural environments. Female caregivers displayed greater systolic and diastolic blood pressure reactivity to a laboratory-based stress task (i.e., discussing caregiving difficulties) compared with male caregivers (p < or =.01). In contrast, no gender differences were found for ambulatory hemodynamic functioning when aggregated overall or when in the presence of the care recipient. Laboratory-based findings suggest that female caregivers experience greater blood pressure reactivity to caregiving-related stress than do male caregivers. However, these laboratory-based gender differences may not generalize to differences in hemodynamic functioning in caregivers' daily lives.
Highlights
IntroductionIn contrast to the caregiving literature, several studies have suggested that men experience greater blood pressure reactivity to laboratory-based stressors compared with women (Allen, Stoney, Owens, & Matthews, 1993; Delahanty et al, 2000; Matthews, Davis, Stoney, Owens, & Caggiula, 1991; Polefrone & Manuck, 1987; Stoney, Davis, & Matthews, 1987)
The present study examined ambulatory hemodynamic functioning among both male and female caregivers when they were in the presence of their care recipients, a time period previously associated with distress and increased blood pressure (BP) among at least some groups of caregivers (King et al, 1994)
Correlational analyses indicated that gender differences in hours per week providing care were unrelated to the outcome measures (SBP, diastolic BP (DBP), and heart rate (HR) reactivity; p values Ͼ .05)
Summary
In contrast to the caregiving literature, several studies have suggested that men experience greater blood pressure reactivity to laboratory-based stressors compared with women (Allen, Stoney, Owens, & Matthews, 1993; Delahanty et al, 2000; Matthews, Davis, Stoney, Owens, & Caggiula, 1991; Polefrone & Manuck, 1987; Stoney, Davis, & Matthews, 1987) This prior research examining gender differences in CVR in the general population typically focused on young adults; it often did not indicate whether the individuals studied were, like caregivers, experiencing significant daily stressors that could exacerbate physiological responses to stress in the laboratory. As research has found CVR to be relatively stable over time (Kamarck, 1992; Veit, Brody, & Rau, 1997), the present study conceptualized CVR as an individual difference variable
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