The frequency of environmental events that could be perceived as racist and stressful has been markedly elevated since 11 September 2001, especially among White Arab Americans. To the extent that acculturative stress and perceptions of racism are related to acute and chronic changes in psychological and physical functioning, an assessment of the biobehavioral factors associated with psychological and physical functioning in this group is especially warranted. In a sample of 450 White Arab Americans, the proposed study will investigate the biobehavioral correlates of acculturative stress and perceived racism. A contextual model is presented that is designed to provide a framework for exploring the relationship of acculturative stress and perceived racism to psychological symptoms and resting blood pressure. The proposed research will examine the following research questions that stem directly from the contextual model: 1) Do religious/spiritual preference, cultural factors, perceived stress, health-risk behaviors, psychological symptoms, blood pressure vary as a function of ethnicity; 2) Do health-risk behaviors, acculturation, and perceived stress vary as a function of religious/spiritual preference; 3) Are cultural factors associated with perceived stress, health-risk behaviors, psychological symptoms, and blood pressure; 4) Are perceived stress, coping resources, and health-risk behaviors associated with psychological symptoms and blood pressure; 5) Does religious/spiritual preference moderate the relationship between ethnicity and perceived stress; 6) Do coping resources or acculturation moderate the relationship of perceived stress to psychological symptoms and blood pressure; 7) Do psychological symptoms predict blood pressure; and, 8) Do coping resources or health-risk behaviors moderate the relationship between psychological symptoms and blood pressure? This project will contribute to the literature exploring relationships among ethnically relevant stressors, psychological functioning, and blood pressure, which may have longer-term implications for psychopathology and vascular functioning in members of some White ethnic groups. ? ?
