The Study Of The Relationship Between Subcomponents Of Type A Behavior Pattern And Coronary Heart Disease

Objective:Inconsistencies in the literature linking Type A behavior pattern(TABP)to coronary heart disease(CHD)may be due to differences in the effects of various components of TABP,namely hostility, aggressiveness, competitive drive, ambitiousness, and a chronic sense of time urgency. We develop a questionnaire on subcomponents of TABP. A survey was carried out in the patients with CHD and the control group in order to discover the subcomponents of the TABP which were related with the CHD. The health education for preventing the CHD can be carried out.Method:The questionnaire of the PSACIV behavior which was established according to the Type A Behavior Pattern Questionnaire and the JAS scale by professor Miao Danmin was used to survey 968 objects in Xi'an during the period of September to November of 2006. The factor explorating analysis and varimax of variance were used to confirm the 6 subcomponents which were supposed by the questionnaire, and then the questionnaire of the type-A behavior was established. The new questionnaire was used to survey the patients with CHD in order to find the subcomponents which have relation with CHD.In order to discover the subcomponents of TABP which related with the CHD, the new questionnaire was used to investigate the subcomponents of TABP in 209 patients with CHD and 218 comparison crowds in Tangdu hospital and Xijing hospital of Fourth Military Medical University, and the first affiliated hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University of Xi'an city during the period of September to November of 2006.Results:1. The new questionnaire on subcomponents of TABP was developed: we deleted 10 items in the primary questionnaire and the left 40 items were distributed in 6 dimensions which have psychological significance and may explain the total variation by 35%. The items load in every dimension is 0.237-0.344, The 6 dimensions were irritation, pressing, speed, impatience, hostility and unsociability respectively.2. The scores of the total type-A behavior and the various subcomponents of TABP in patients with CHD were higher than those of the control group. The type-A behavior total score between two group was significant difference (P=0.036). The comparison of the score of various subcomponents discovered that the time efficiency (speed) subcomponent between two groups were significant difference (P =0.009). Although the scores of the other 5 subcomponents in group of coronary heart disease patients were higher than those of the control group, there is not significant difference between two groups.3. In the group of the male patients with coronary heart disease, the score of total type-A behavior and various subcomponents of type-A behavior were higher than those of the comparison crowd. There was statistically significant difference between the total score of type-A behavior between the two group (P=0.042). The comparison of the score of various subcomponents discovered that the differences of time efficiency (speed) subcomponent between the two groups was statistically significant difference (P =0.002), but not the other 5 subcomponents.4. In the group of the female patients with coronary heart disease, the scores of total type-A behavior and various subcomponents of type-A behavior were higher than those of the control group too. But neither total type-A behavior score nor the scores of various subcomponents between the two groups were significant difference.Conclusion:1. Type A behavior is related with the incidence of CHD and time efficiency (speed) subcomponent in Type A behavior probably plays a major role in the incidence of CHD.2. The subcomponent of time efficiency (speed) in type A behavior is one of risk subcomponents in male patients with coronary heart disease.3. The relationship between TABP and CHD in females should be further validated.