Date
Summer 2022
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Department
College of Nursing
First Advisor
Joan Creed
Abstract
Problem Statement: There is a disproportionate number of African American women (AAW) diagnosed with hypertension (HTN) with modifiable health and behavior risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was aimed at evaluating if a 12-week educational program using Life Simple 7 guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) within a primary care facility for adults diagnosed with hypertension and who are overweight would reduce blood pressure, body mass index, and increase knowledge regarding hypertension. Methods: A pretest and posttest intervention design was utilized to determine the outcomes of this study. The setting for this project was in a primary care facility in North Carolina The participants were between the ages of 20-75 with a diagnosis of HTN. Inclusion criteria included being overweight or obese (BMI>25) African American, on oral antihypertensive medications and a current patient of the facility. Results: Seven women started the wellness program with one discontinuing due to work obligations. The average weight loss was 1.9 pounds (0.8%). The average reduction in systolic blood pressure was 128.9 and diastolic blood pressure was 78.7. The Hypertension Knowledge Test was assessed at baseline and post intervention. The average score at baseline was 9.17 and post intervention was 10.33 with a difference of 1.17 (p=<.1). There was not a significant change between pre and posttest scores as both scores were similar. Conclusion: This project highlights that adopting a healthy lifestyle approach encompassing multiple health-related domains can decrease heart-related risk factors in AAW. Educational wellness programs to include LS7 are compelling in reducing the misconceptions among AAW affected by disease and lead to a more positive outcome.
Recommended Citation
Williams, LaToshia Danielle, "Bridging the Gap: Improving Hypertension in African American Women and Preventing Cardiovascular Disease" (2022). Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects. 15.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/dnp_projects/15
Rights
© 2022, LaToshia Danielle Williams