Department of Psychology, University of Alabama.
Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama.
Health Psychol. 2023 Sep;42(9):642-656. doi: 10.1037/hea0001307. Epub 2023 Jul 13.
The stress reactivity hypothesis (SRH) posits that stressful early environments contribute to exaggerated stress responses, which increase risk for later cardiovascular (CV) disease. However, recent studies have revealed conflicting associations. The current study examined whether the biological sensitivity to context theory (BSCT) or SRH is a more accurate description of associations between early stress and CV reactivity and recovery, and determine which framework best explains sleep outcomes. This is the first article to conceptually link these theories and empirically examine competing hypotheses.
Participants were 213 adults who participated in the Pittsburgh Cold Study 3. Early environment stress was assessed by four self-report measures consistent with operationalizations of the BSCT. Average heart rate and mean arterial pressure reactivity to the trier social stress test were assessed on two occasions, and sleep parameters were assessed using wrist-worn actigraphy over 7 days.
Results generally did not support the SRH; little evidence that high-stress early environments were reliably associated with exaggerated CV reactivity or slower CV recovery, and little evidence that these CV stress responses were consistently associated with poor sleep. However, there was some support for the BSCT; both high-stress and low-stress early environments were associated with exaggerated CV reactivity, the combination of high-stress and high CV reactivity was associated with poor sleep, and the combination of low-stress and high CV reactivity was associated with better sleep.
Associations proposed by the BSCT persist into adulthood and may help explain associations with poor health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
应激反应假说（SRH）认为，早期的应激环境会导致应激反应过度，从而增加患心血管疾病（CV）的风险。然而，最近的研究揭示了相互矛盾的关联。本研究旨在检验生物敏感性情境理论（BSCT）或 SRH 是否更准确地描述了早期应激与 CV 反应性和恢复之间的关联，并确定哪种框架最能解释睡眠结果。这是第一篇将这些理论概念上联系起来并实证检验竞争假设的文章。
参与者为 213 名成年人，他们参加了匹兹堡冷应激研究 3。通过四项与 BSCT 操作化一致的自我报告测量来评估早期环境应激。在两次情况下评估特里尔社会应激测试的平均心率和平均动脉压反应性，并使用手腕佩戴的活动记录仪在 7 天内评估睡眠参数。
结果普遍不支持 SRH；几乎没有证据表明高应激的早期环境与 CV 反应过度或恢复较慢可靠相关，也几乎没有证据表明这些 CV 应激反应与睡眠质量差一致相关。然而，BSCT 得到了一些支持；高应激和低应激的早期环境都与 CV 反应过度有关，高应激和高 CV 反应过度的组合与睡眠质量差有关，低应激和高 CV 反应过度的组合与睡眠质量好有关。
BSCT 提出的关联会持续到成年期，并可能有助于解释与健康不良结果的关联。（PsycInfo 数据库记录（c）2023 APA，保留所有权利）。
