Interpersonal trust, life events and selected coronary heart disease risk factors in a college population

Problem: What is the relationship between interpersonal trust and life events/and coronary heart disease risk factors? A two group survey method with a volunteer university sample of 105 subjects comprising 54 males and 51 females in two age groups, 20 to 35 and 50 to 65 were u~ed. Rotter's Interpersonal Trust Scale and Holmes and Rahe Recent Life Changes Questionnaire were instruments used. Subjects were asked to: complete a health history, have blood pressure, weight, height and pulse recorded, maintain a nutrition diary, and have one fasting blood sample drmm. Results indicated. significant correlations between interpersonal trust, life events, age, sodium leyeJ.s, potassium levels, and carbon dioxide levels. There were also differences in number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day, carbohydrate intake, life events, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. It was concluded that a significant relationship exists between interpersonal trust and life events and coronary heart disease risk factors, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, exercise, age, carbohydrate intake, and blood values. Older subjects have significantly lower level of interpersonal trust than the younger subjects.