An educational intervention for hypertension management in older African Americans.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a telecommunications approach to hypertension education.


METHODS
Participants (N = 83) were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Experimental group participants received spiritual and hypertension-related messages via programmed telephone calls, and the control group participants received spiritual messages only. Both the experimental and control group participants received the following: printed material on hypertension-related information and regular home visits from a health educator to conduct pre-test and post-test assessments of hypertension knowledge, pill counts, and blood pressure readings.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant improvements in hypertension knowledge. By week 4 of the intervention, there was a statistically significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure for both groups. However, there were no differences between the experimental and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no evidence that the telecommunications approach improved older African Americans' understanding of hypertension or its management.
Walker
C C
CC
Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute for Health Care, Indianapolis 46202-2859, USA. walker_c@regenstrief.iupui.edu
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012944:Social Support; D013689:Telephone