Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor, Obesity, Stigma, Social
Conditions
Brief summary
The current study examined the influence of an acute weight stigma exposure on cardiovascular reactivity among women with obesity and high blood pressure and women with obesity and normal blood pressure.
Detailed description
The current study examined the influence of two video exposures, one containing scenes of weight stigma (STIGMA) and the other non-stigmatizing neutral (NEUTRAL) scenes, on cardiovascular reactivity as assessed by resting BP and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR), among women with obesity and high BP (HBP) or normal BP (NBP). The investigators hypothesized that as a result of STIGMA compared to NEUTRAL, cardiovascular reactivity would be significantly greater immediately upon watching the video and persist outside of the laboratory over ambulatory conditions in women with obesity and HBP compared to women with obesity and NBP.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALStigma Video Exposure
The participants watched a 10 minute video on a computer screen that consisted of brief clips from popular television shows that depicted women with overweight and obesity and evoked negative weight-based stereotypes (e.g., clumsy, loud, and lazy). Both the high blood pressure and normal blood pressure arms participated in this intervention.
BEHAVIORALNeutral video exposure
The participants watched a 10 minute video on a computer screen that consisted of a series of clips depicting neutral scenes (e.g., insurance commercials). Both the high blood pressure and normal blood pressure arms participated in this intervention.
Sponsors
Hartford Hospital
University of Connecticut
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
Due to the nature of the experimental manipulation in this study and to maintain validity, mild deception was necessary. Participants were told that the study was examining BP, HR, mood, and behavioral responses to various forms of media and were not informed specifically of the purpose until after they completed the study. In order to verify that the participants were unaware that their cardiovascular reactivity to a weight stigma exposure was being measured, a manipulation check was implemented wherein participants were asked to report what they believed the study purpose to be. No participants reported the true purpose of the study during the manipulation check. At the conclusion of the study, participants were debriefed about the true purpose of the study.
Intervention model description
Participants were randomized using www.randomization.com to either STIGMA at Visit 2 and NEUTRAL at Visit 3, or NEUTRAL at Visit 2 and STIGMA at Visit 3.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
20 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Premenopausal * BMI \> 30 kg/m2 * No other known chronic cardiovascular or metabolic diseases besides hypertension
Exclusion criteria
* Pregnant or planned on becoming pregnant * Took medications that may have affected the primary outcome of BP (e.g., stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or steroids for asthma) * Currently using tobacco products * Diagnosed with an eating disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory systolic BP (SABP) reactivity | 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep) | Ambulatory SABP reactivity was calculated as the change in hourly SABP values (mmHg) over the awake (10 hours), sleep (9 hours), and 19 hours minus average baseline SABP following STIGMA and NEUTRAL. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory diastolic BP (DABP) reactivity | 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep) | Ambulatory DABP reactivity was calculated as the change in hourly DABP values (mmHg) over the awake (10 hours), sleep (9 hours), and 19 hours minus average baseline DABP following STIGMA and NEUTRAL. |
| Laboratory diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity | 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals). | Laboratory DBP reactivity was calculated as the change in DBP in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) during the stigma video exposure (STIGMA) and the neutral video exposure (NEUTRAL) and 20-minute post-STIGMA and NEUTRAL minus baseline DBP. |
| Laboratory heart rate (HR) reactivity | 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals). | Laboratory HR reactivity was calculated as the change in HR in beats per minute (bpm) during the stigma video exposure (STIGMA) and the neutral video exposure (NEUTRAL) and 20-minute post-STIGMA and NEUTRAL minus baseline BP. |
| Laboratory systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity | 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals). | Laboratory SBP reactivity was calculated as the change in SBP in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) during the stigma video exposure (STIGMA) and the neutral video exposure (NEUTRAL) and 20-minute post-STIGMA and NEUTRAL minus baseline SBP. |
| Ambulatory rate pressure product (RPP) reactivity | 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep) | Ambulatory RPP reactivity in mmHg\*bpm was calculated as ambulatory SBP cardiovascular reactivity (mmHg) multiplied by ambulatory HR reactivity (bpm) (i.e., SBP x HR). |
| Laboratory rate pressure product (RPP) reactivity | 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals). | Laboratory RPP reactivity in mmHg\*bpm was calculated as laboratory SBP cardiovascular reactivity (mmHg) multiplied by laboratory HR reactivity (bpm) (i.e., SBP x HR). |
| Ambulatory heart rate (HR) reactivity | 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep) | Ambulatory heart rate (HR) reactivity was calculated as the change in hourly HR values (bpm) over the awake (10 hours), sleep (9 hours), and 19 hours minus average baseline HR following STIGMA and NEUTRAL. |
Outcome results
None listed