Hypertension Self-Management Perspectives From African American Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Disease Research

Background:

• Hypertension disproportionately affects African Americans, leading to earlier onset, greater severity, and premature cardiovascular mortality.
• Effective hypertension self-management is crucial for older African American adults, a vulnerable population.
• Culturally acceptable interventions are needed to improve hypertension self-management outcomes in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perspectives of community-dwelling African American older adults on hypertension self-management.
• To identify key stressors influencing self-management behaviors in this population.
• To inform the co-creation of culturally acceptable, educational interventions for hypertension self-management.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study utilizing focus groups with community-dwelling African American older adults diagnosed with hypertension (N=31).
• Audio and graphical recordings of focus group discussions were analyzed.
• Data analysis focused on identifying themes related to participants' experiences and preferences in hypertension self-management.

Main Results:

• Key themes emerged concerning primary stressors in blood pressure self-management: communication, healthy eating, and sleep.
• Participant perspectives highlighted the need for interventions addressing these specific challenges.
• The findings directly informed the co-creation of tailored educational interventions.

Conclusions:

• Communication, healthy eating, and sleep are critical areas for hypertension self-management support among African American older adults.
• Co-created, culturally sensitive interventions addressing these stressors can enhance self-management.
• Further research and intervention development are warranted to improve cardiovascular health in this population.