TABLE 1—
Descriptive and Inferential Statistics Comparing Conditions at Baseline Among Female Latina American College Students: Santa Barbara, CA, 2005–2006
| Variable | Prejudiced Condition (n = 27), Mean (SD) or % (No./Total No.) | Nonprejudiced Condition (n = 27), Mean (SD) or % (No./Total No.) | P |
| Demographics | |||
| Age, y | 19.26 (1.99) | 18.63 (1.01) | .16 |
| US-born | 81 (17/21) | 90 (17/19) | .57 |
| Cardiovascular measures (minute 5) | |||
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 128.69 (17.04) | 126.54 (16.07) | .64 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 72.54 (12.39) | 71.77 (13.62) | .83 |
| Mean arterial blood pressure, mm Hg | 91.26 (13.61) | 90.03 (14.20) | .75 |
| Preejection period, msec | 93.75 (21.98) | 101.54 (16.42) | .16 |
| Heart rate | 79.41 (12.07) | 77.18 (13.52) | .52 |
| Cardiac output, L/min | 8.12 (2.14) | 8.73 (2.25) | .33 |
| Total peripheral resistance, dyne/sec | 956.92 (279.19) | 888.85 (270.59) | .39 |
| Control variables | |||
| Anxietya | 0.977 (0.799) | 0.872 (0.638) | .6 |
| Depressiona | 0.801 (0.648) | 0.803 (0.827) | .99 |
| Optimismb | 4.19 (0.910) | 4.29 (0.930) | .66 |
Scores from an online questionnaire that included trait anxiety and depression subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory.46 The anxiety subscale assessed feeling nervous or shakiness inside; suddenly scared for no reason; fearful, tense or keyed up; and spells of terror and panic (Cronbach's α = 0.86). The depression subscale assessed feeling lonely, blue, no interest in things, hopeless about the future, and worthless (Cronbach's α = 0.88).
Scores from the 8-item trait optimism subscale of the Life Orientation Test with items such as: “In uncertain times, I usually expect the best” and “I hardly ever expect things to go my way” (reverse scored; Cronbach's α = 0.82).47