Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Psychology
Date of Award
5-2011
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Andrea D. Clements
Committee Members
Beth Bailey, William T. Dalton III
Abstract
Extensive literature review inspired a mediational model of the relationship between Religiosity/Spirituality (R/S) and Blood Pressure (BP) tested through secondary analyses of data from the TIPS program. Participants included 205 (92.1% Caucasian; age M=23.72, SD=5.33) pregnant Southern Appalachian women drawn from the region's at-risk pregnancy population. The only variables correlated with BP were women's weight (r=.430, r=.467, p<.01, for diastolic and systolic BP, respectively) and prenatal care use (r=.138, p<.05, with diastolic BP), but not R/S. Multiple regression analyses confirmed participant weight as the only significant independent predictor of BP. Previous findings of health benefits of R/S cannot be assumed to generalize to pregnant women without further study. Limitations of this study and possible explanations for the findings are discussed.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Ermakova, Anna Vadimovna, "Religious Commitment as a Predictor of Lower Blood Pressure in High-Risk Pregnancies of Southern Appalachia." (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1264. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1264
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.