Rumination as a moderator for discrimination and blood pressure in older African American adults

Abstract

Discriminatory experiences pose a threat to cardiovascular health. Rumination (i.e., repetitive thought) has been shown to exacerbate discrimination and various health aspects associated with cardiovascular disease risk, such as heart rate variability and sleep. This study extends existing literature by examining whether the relationship between discrimination and blood pressure is moderated by rumination. The sample was drawn from the Health Among Older Adults Living in Detroit (HOLD) study, which investigates psychosocial predictors of healthy aging and cardiometabolic health among African American (AA) adults. The study included two home visits and a five-day assessment period. Questions regarding rumination were collected each day during the daily assessment period and then averaged across days. Habitual discrimination was measured with the Everyday Discrimination Scale. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were recorded at the second home visit. Participants included 210 older AA adults (M = 67.6 yrs., SD= 8.42). Rumination was a significant moderator between discrimination and SBP. Simple slopes revealed a significant negative association between discrimination and SBP at low levels of rumination (-1 SD) and a significant positive association between discrimination and SBP at +2 SD from average rumination. Findings from the present study indicate that the relationship between discrimination and SBP varies as a function of daily levels of rumination, in the form of a disordinal (or crossover) interaction. Future studies should corroborate these findings by considering trait levels of rumination and by investigating different facets of rumination (e.g., reflective and brooding).