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A barber-based intervention for hypertension in African American men: design of a group randomized trial

Ronald G Victor1, Joseph E Ravenell, Anne Freeman

  • 1Division of Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, and Donald W Reynolds Clinical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8586, USA. ronald.victor@utsouthwestern.edu

American Heart Journal
|December 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Barbershops can be effective for hypertension (HTN) screening in African American men. A peer-led program in barbershops successfully encouraged treatment-seeking behavior and improved blood pressure control.

Area of Science:

  • Community health
  • Cardiovascular disease prevention
  • Health disparities

Background:

  • Barbershops are identified as potential venues for community health promotion targeting hypertension (HTN) in African American men.
  • Previous community-based programs for HTN in this demographic have not been formally evaluated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate a hypertension detection and medical referral program conducted by barbers in barbershops.
  • To assess the program's impact on treatment-seeking behavior and blood pressure control among African American men with HTN.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized trial involving 16 barbershops using a pretest/posttest group-randomization protocol.
  • Barbers offered blood pressure checks and encouraged medical referrals, utilizing peer testimonials.
  • Serial cross-sectional data collection assessed hypertension control before and after a 10-month intervention period.

Main Results:

  • The barber-based intervention successfully promoted treatment-seeking behavior.
  • Significant improvements in blood pressure control were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group.
  • The program demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness in a community setting.

Conclusions:

  • Linking community health promotion with the healthcare system offers a novel model for hypertension control.
  • This approach has the potential for nationwide scalability in reducing cardiovascular risk among African American men.
  • Community-based interventions in trusted settings like barbershops can effectively address health disparities.
Abstract

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