A hypertension control program tailored to unskilled and minority workers

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease risk factors are prevalent in urban employee populations.
• Low health literacy and varied health beliefs present challenges in hypertension management.
• Worksite health promotion programs can address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a tailored antihypertensive educational intervention for city employees.
• To reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease within a diverse workforce.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a health education program on blood pressure control.

Main Methods:

• Identified barriers to hypertension control including low literacy and health beliefs.
• Developed a tailored educational program focusing on lifestyle changes and seeking medical care.
• Compared changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in program participants versus matched controls.

Main Results:

• Intervention participants experienced a significant mean SBP decrease of 4.5 mm Hg (p = 0.03).
• African American participants and unskilled workers showed significant SBP reductions (7.4 mm Hg and 7.7 mm Hg, respectively).
• Controls exhibited a non-significant decrease in blood pressure in the same direction.

Conclusions:

• A tailored educational intervention is feasible for low-literacy populations in worksite settings.
• Such interventions can effectively impact hypertension control.
• Worksite health programs can be adapted to specific population needs and working conditions.