Associations of Type A Behavior in Children With Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease

Betsy D. Kennard, David Fixler, Sarah Blumenschein, Robert Gatchel, Cheryl F. Hughes, Catherine Bass

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

To determine the association of Type A behavior and coronary heart disease risk factors in children with a familial predisposition for premature atherosclerosis, subjects 6 to 16 years of age were evaluated on psychological and coronary risk measures. Subjects were classified as being Type A or Type B using the Student Structured Interview. Type A subjects had lower total serum and LDL cholesterol levels and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than Type B subjects. In addition, Type A subjects had more social competence skills and less behavioral disturbance relative to Type B subjects. Type A subjects tended to have better endurance on treadmill stress testing. These results suggest that in children with increased risk for coronary artery disease, the Type A behavior pattern may be associated with better fitness, better psychological health, and lower serum cholesterol levels. We hypothesized that the psychological and physiological characteristics of children with Type A behavior may enable them to adopt hygienic lifestyles more readily than children with Type B behavior.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)287-296
Number of pages10
Journalchildren's Health Care
Volume22
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1993

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

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