Background: Perceived control, defined as an individual's belief in their ability to influence life events and circumstances, has been implicated in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some research has demonstrated a link between perceived control and blood pressure, a major CVD risk factor. However, methodological differences across studies, including variability in definitions and measures of perceived control, preclude a clear understanding of this relationship.
Purpose: This systematic review describes the evidence regarding the association between perceived control and blood pressure, with a specific focus on integrating the literatures across multiple control-related constructs to provide a comprehensive understanding of their relationship with blood pressure.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted across five databases. Data were extracted from 24 studies that quantitatively examined the relationship between perceived control and blood pressure and met inclusion criteria. Results across studies were narratively synthesized.
Results: Limited evidence emerged across studies showing a negative relationship between perceived control and both resting blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure, but no studies reviewed found that perceived control was associated with lower blood pressure reactivity to a lab stressor.
Conclusions: The findings here provide preliminary evidence that perceived control may serve as an important protective factor against high blood pressure. The findings highlight the need for additional quality research to examine this link more thoroughly. Recommendations for future research are provided.
Keywords: Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Locus of control; Mastery; Perceived control; Self-efficacy.
Perceived control, defined as the belief in one’s ability to influence one’s life circumstances, may be linked to lower blood pressure, but inconsistencies in how perceived control is defined and measured preclude a clear understanding of this relationship. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to describe and summarize the studies and evidence on the relationship between perceived control and blood pressure. The review included 24 studies that quantitatively tested the association between perceived control and blood pressure. Findings across these studies showed some evidence for a negative relationship between perceived control and both resting blood pressure and blood pressure throughout the day, suggesting that individuals who feel greater control over their life circumstances may have lower blood pressure. However, no studies demonstrated a link between perceived control and blood pressure responses to stress in a lab setting. Overall, this review suggests that perceived control may be an important factor in blood pressure, but additional quality research is needed to examine this link more thoroughly.
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