Stress due to Violence, Coping Behaviors, and Hypertension in Urban Adults

Community violence is a significant public health crisis in the U.S., linked to adverse mental and physical health outcomes, including chronic stress, physiological dysregulation, and increased risk for chronic conditions like hypertension. This study investigated how stress and trauma exposure from community violence influences hypertension, and how coping behaviors and stress due to media exposure of violence moderate the relationship. The study used data from a cross-sectional survey of 496 adults in south and west side Chicago neighborhoods. Key findings showed that maladaptive coping strategies were significantly associated with increased odds of elevated blood pressure (Adjusted OR = 1.15, p = 0.002), and stress from media coverage of community violence was also significantly associated with higher odds of elevated blood pressure (Adjusted OR = 1.82, p = 0.044). These results suggest that how individuals cope with stress and their exposure to violence through media plays an important role in stress outcomes and emphasized the need for interventions that address stress management, coping strategies, and critical engagement with media in vulnerable urban communities.