Social Support, Assimilation, and Biological Effective Blood Pressure Levels

This study explores the role of social support on blood pressure levels among a sample of immigrants. The measure of blood pressure used is biological effective blood pressure, a mathematically transformed single measure derived from systolic and diastolic readings. The twin processes of immigration and assimilation are highly stressful. Stress is a major precursor of elevated blood pressure. It is assumed here that assimilation is differentially stressful according to the amount of social support one receives. Protracted stress will be manifested in elevated blood pressure levels. We found that social support was second only to age in its ability to account independently for variance in blood pressure levels. Immigrants receiving high levels of social support had significantly lower blood pressure levels than those receiving less social support. Social support was also significantly related to assimilation.