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Document Type

Article

Abstract

Comparisons of the rates of urinary catecholamine (epinephrine and norepinephrine) excretion and blood pressure overnight and at mid-morning are examined among four groups of young Samoan men in Western Samoa. The groups include 31 rural agriculturalists and 28 manual laborers, 33 sedentary workers, and 31 college students from the urban area of Apia. Correlations among the variables are also calculated from the total sample (N = 123) using multiple analysis of variance techniques. Results of the catecholamine comparisons show that overnight, the villagers and laborers have similar excretion rates for both compounds and that the rates of these groups are generally lower than those of the sedentary workers and students (p < .05). At mid-morning and on average (overnight + mid­morning), the villagers have significantly lower excretion rates (p < .002 and p < .025) than any of the Apia groups. The villagers also have significantly lower systolic pressure (p < .05) on any reading than the sedentary workers and students, and significantly lower mid-morning systolic pressure than the laborers. Correlational analysis shows that norepinephrine is significantly associated with systolic pressure (p < .05), and that this association is diminished when adjusted for the differences among the groups. It is suggested that the lifestyles and environment of the villagers are less stressful than those of the urban groups, and that the increased blood pressure of themore Westernized urban groups may result from the stress of lifestyle change.

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