Partnering With Schools for Community-Based Health Interventions: How Educating Children Improves Hypertension...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Health
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease causes over 16,000 deaths annually in Virginia.
• Hypertension (HTN) is a primary modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Health disparities in cardiovascular disease morbidity are evident among Black and low-income adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the community-based Teach BP program.
• To increase hypertension (HTN) awareness among elementary school students.
• To promote healthy blood pressure (BP) habits and monitoring skills.

Main Methods:

• An educational intervention was delivered to 52 elementary students in a majority Black and low-income school.
• The Teach BP program covered HTN knowledge, impacted organ systems, healthy BP habits, and BP monitor operation.
• Student learning was assessed on knowledge and competency in BP monitoring.

Main Results:

• Student ability to define and recognize HTN improved by 62.7%.
• Awareness of HTN's effects on the body increased by 92.1%.
• Students demonstrated proficiency in operating a BP monitor.

Conclusions:

• The Teach BP program successfully enhanced students' understanding of hypertension.
• School-based interventions can be effective in improving pediatric cardiovascular health awareness.
• Early education on HTN may contribute to long-term cardiovascular disease prevention.