Hypertension Treatment in Barbershops

An Effective Practice

Description

This program uses barbershops as a site for community health promotion programming targeting hypertension in African American men in low-income communities. The program offers free blood pressure screening and education at African American-owned barbershops. Participants with high blood pressure are provided with individualized blood pressure report cards and referred to community physicians. Men who return to the barbershop with a report card signed by their health care provider receive an incentive. Barbers involved in the program serve as peer-educators, sharing stories depicting successful risk reduction strategies adopted by customers or other members of the target community.

Goal / Mission

The goal of this program is to reduce blood pressure among African American men.

Results / Accomplishments

A non-randomized feasibility study design was used to determine if the intervention program of continuous blood pressure monitoring and peer-based health messaging in a barbershop lowers blood pressure Blood pressure decreased significantly in the intervention group but was unchanged in the comparison group (p < 0.0001). Hypertension treatment and control increased significantly (p's < 0.001) in the intervention group, but remained unchanged in the comparison group. Barbers trained in the intervention demonstrated a high degree of intervention fidelity.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Hypertension Division
Primary Contact
Ronald Victor
Hypertension Division
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Room J4.134
5323 Harry Hines Blvd
Dallas, TX 75390
(214) 648-3111
ronald.victor@utsouthwestern.edu
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/index.html
Topics
Health / Heart Disease & Stroke
Community / Social Environment
Organization(s)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Hypertension Division
Source
Hypertension
Date of publication
2007
Date of implementation
Apr 2002
Location
Dallas, TX
For more details
Target Audience
Racial/Ethnic Minorities