Stress and nutrition among African American women with hypertension.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations of cognitive, behavioral, and physical stress with health-promoting nutrition behaviors (HPNB) among African American women who are at risk for or diagnosed with hypertension and/or related health conditions.

METHODS

Eighty women completed demographic and medical data forms and questionnaires to assess levels of stress and HPNB.

RESULTS

HPNB was negatively associated with behavioral stress and positively associated with physical stress among the participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This research suggested strategies for increasing HPNB in African American women. Future research should focus on how these women cope with stress.