title: A randomized community intervention to improve hypertension control among Mexican Americans: using the promotoras de salud community outreach model.
abstract: The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the acceptance, effectiveness, and sustainability of a promotora (community health worker) pilot program to improve hypertension control among medically underserved Mexican Americans of the El Paso, Texas area, and 2) to demonstrate improvements in clinical measures of blood pressure, BMI and waist circumference, self-reported behaviors and changes in attitudes and beliefs about blood pressure among Mexican American hypertensives. Participants were eligible if they had been diagnosed with hypertension and if they were willing to be randomized as either participants in the intervention or as controls. A total of 58 participants enrolled in the intervention group and 40 participants served as controls. This was a 9-week promotora intervention. Health behavior constructs and clinical data were measured pre-post intervention. Perceived benefits, and two heart-healthy behaviors (salt and sodium, and cholesterol and fat) were shown to be statistically significantly different between the intervention and control groups.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, El Paso Regional Campus, El Paso, TX 79902, USA. Hector.G.Balcazar@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Hector G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Balcazar
authors.forename: Theresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: Melchor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Sumanth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Tondapu
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chavez
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas; D055105:Waist Circumference