Coping and metabolic syndrome indicators in urban black South African men: the SABPA study

Abstract

Urbanisation is associated with obesity, hypertension anddevelopment of the metabolic syndrome (MS). We aimed toassess the use of different coping styles and their influenceon increases in MS indicators and target end-organ damage(TOD) in urban black African men. A sample of 53 menwas classified as clear high active (AC,n=30) or passivecoping (PC,n=23) responders, using the Amirkhan Africanvalidated coping style indicator. Blood pressure (BP) wasrecorded with an aneroid sphygmomanometer and waistcircumference (WC) was determined. Carotid intima–mediathickness (CIMT) and microalbuminuria were analysed todetermine TOD.Fasting serum and eight-hour urine samples revealedelevated MS indicators in AC men. Strong associationsexisted between MS indicators and TOD in AC but not PCmen. To conclude, only BP and seeking social support werepositively associated with TOD in urban PC African men,while in urban AC African men, most MS indicators werepositively associated with TOD, i.e. sub-clinical atherosclero-sis and renal impairment