Relationship between perceived stress and blood pressure control in young adults with a family history of hypertension
Document Type
Artefact
Department
Community Health Sciences
Abstract
Background: Hypertension is a primary reason for heart problems that lead to death or illness across the globe, and people with a family history are more prone to it. Stress is known to cause an increase in blood pressure, but the specific influence of stress perception on individuals in this high-risk group remains unclear. This study examines the relationship between perceived stress and blood pressure control in young adults with a family history of hypertension.
Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design, involving 385 young adults aged 18-35 years from universities, communities, and outpatient centres in Islamabad, Pakistan. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in conjunction with the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale (HB-HBP). All data were run through IBM SPSS Version 26 using Pearson correlation, t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression to examine the relationship between perceived stress and the effectiveness of blood pressure management. The data were gathered from February 2025 to May 2025.
Results: Perceived stress showed a significant gender difference, with males reporting higher levels of stress (t=3.431, p=0.001). It was moderately positively correlated with blood pressure control (r=0.400, p < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that the greater the stress, the less effectively a person managed their blood pressure (b=0.400, p < 0.001). Individuals adhering to a particular diet had improved control of their blood pressure (t=3.403, p=0.001). Although physical activity and marital status were found to have a statistically significant correlation with stress and blood pressure control (p < 0.05), the higher values were negligible.
Conclusion: It is shown that controlling blood pressure in young adults who have a family history of hypertension can be affected by their perceived stress. Researchers found that stress management may be very helpful in improving the blood pressure of such high-risk patients. More studies are required to find out how stress can lead to hypertension, including emotional and physical/health aspects.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Cureus Journal of Medical Science
DOI
10.7759/cureus.87821
Recommended Citation
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