The Interactive Effects of Education and Social Support on Blood Pressure in African Americans

Background This study examined whether the effects of received and provided social support on blood pressure (BP) would differ by education. Methods Data from 602 African American adults (48-95 years) enrolled in the Baltimore Study of Black Aging-Patterns of Cognitive Aging were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results We found no main effects of received and provided social support on BP. However, a significant moderation effect was observed for systolic BP, such that greater received social support was positively associated with higher systolic BP among individuals with low levels of education, adjusting for age, sex, chronic health conditions, and depressive symptoms. Conclusions The findings demonstrate that social support and education have joint effects on BP, which highlights the importance of considering psychosocial determinants of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes that disproportionately affect African Americans.

Automated summary

This study found that overall social support did not have a significant effect on blood pressure, but education level moderated the relationship between social support and diastolic blood pressure. These findings underscore the importance of considering psychosocial factors in the cardiovascular health outcomes of African Americans.