Health Promotion on Hypertension Amongst African Americans

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Table of Contents

Health promotion among African Americans suffering from Hypertension
The issue
Health Promotion Materials
Health promotion messages
Culture
Cultural approaches
Recommendations
References

Health promotion among African Americans suffering from Hypertension

Health education and health promotion are terms that are used interchangeably to mean approaches that avail health information to all people. This information may be intended to help people change their lifestyle or even to advice them on the importance of managing their health. In general, health promotion or health education is a very important aspect for policy makers, researchers and medical practitioners as they are responsible for developing and availing interventions that are not just inclusive, but also culturally sensitive. This issue is not new. For along time now, providers of care and even researchers have implemented interventions particularly for diverse groups. Through research, they have been able to know that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by uneven distributions of diseases. This paper cultural approach to patient teaching or health promotion among African Americans sufferings from Hypertension. This topic will be discussed in relation to nursing health promotion or teaching of clients. Where findings will be applied to nursing roles by proposing what nurses can do to enhance health promotion or patient teaching.

The issue

Brennan et al (2010) found that the prevalence of hypertension is higher among African Americans than white Americans. Peters, Aroian and Flack (2007) established that Hypertension is a common among African Americans and is a health issue that contributes to a high death rate amongst this population. Even with the understanding that many causes of Hypertension are preventable via management of lifestyle, African Americans still do not engage in health care practices and management behaviors. The American Heart Association (2008, quoted in UGORJ, 2012) discovered that African American women tend to be more overweight a factor that contributes to higher occurrence of hypertension. Educational programs or health promotional programs that aim to sensitize the issue of high blood pressure among African Americans have received limited support both from patients themselves and other stakeholders. This is partly because African Americans rarely present themselves for check ups even if they are aware of the health risks involved. Some of the causes of hypertension include lack of physical activity, smoking tobacco, poor nutrition and alcohol drinking (UGORJ, 2012).

Health Promotion Materials

Dodani (2011) defines health promotion materials as audio-visual or print substances that are used to avail messages when promoting health. Some of these materials used in promoting health include, brochures, pamphlets, posters, Internet-related materials, flyers, articles or newspaper advertisements as well as other videos, periodicals, public service announcements. When promoting the awareness of hypertension amongst African Americans, organizers use church-based approaches and barber shops.

Health promotion messages

According to Dodani (2011) health promotion content or messages are the information conveyed to the intended people. They are intended to have some effect on beliefs, values, awareness, attitudes as well as behaviors, as part of an effort when promoting health. The messages are usually used to address or communicate a community action with regard to reduction of risk. The message may also be used as an encouragement or support for patients and their families to keep managing their condition in away that reduces the health risk. For instance, in this case where health promotion is aimed to inform people on the importance of managing their blood pressure, the messages that support these people may encourage the African Americans to seek medical care.

Culture

According to Victor, Ravenell & Leonard (2009) the culture of African Americans has a big influence on their feeding habits. Rankin, Stalling, and London (2005) indicted that one of the main challenges in promotion of health with diverse populations is mainly to respect their beliefs and traditions, whilst understanding that some of those practices and beliefs may not be in line with the knowledge that supports outcomes that are intended. Dodani (2011) indicated that health promotions that are culturally conscious respects and supports those beliefs and practices that are protective, and considerately assists in identifying and changing those practices and beliefs that have an impact on the health of the target population.

Cultural approaches

Barber-Based Intervention

According to Victor, Ravenell and Leonard (2009) a barber-based Intervention is a behavioral intervention employed by health care practitioners to promote awareness of hypertension among African Americans. The Barbershop sites are mainly used to target African American men with hypertension. This is because even amongst those who have been incorporated in the intervention program, African American men who are hypertensive in most cases may not recognize that adjustment in medication and continued monitoring of blood pressure are required to minimize the risks presented by hypertension (Victor, Ravenell & Leonard, 2009). It is for this reason that healthcare providers developed an intervention carried out by barbers. This is because barbers are considered to be their influential peers (Victor, Ravenell & Leonard, 2009). Barbers are used to monitor the blood pressure of their customers, facilitate medical referral, in addition to delivering health information that is specifically designed to educate people on the associated health risk, dangers of increased blood pressure and make reduction of risk in a ways that is desirable socially.

Faith-based intervention

According to UGORJ (2012) spirituality is viewed as a critical cultural belief by African Americans. Additionally, spirituality is identified as strength amongst African-American women who are relatively poor. In general, the purpose of using this health promotion intervention has always been to reach these people using a faith-based lifestyle as they identify with it (UGORJ, 2012). The areas were low-income areas, particularly those who were at high risk for developing hypertension. Moreover, the intervention was undertaken on Sundays as a way of ensuring maximal participation as well as to reduce the travel time of the participants. During this program, several things were proposed to enhance the health of those people who were at risk. These things include eating plan, where the food emphasized included food with low fat content, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They were also advised to increase physical activity, reduce alcohol consumption, and reduce dietary sodium consumption.

Relationship with nurses

Health promotion or health education by nurses is espoused from the common universal nursing principles. The health promotion intervention that is most commonly used by nurses is health education (Dodani, 2011;Brennan, et al., 2010, p. 65). As a rule, promoters of general health are usually expected to be well versed in matters of health promotion, actions for effective promotion of health, social care policies as well as the ability to relate these aspects to their general practice. Generally, there is an increasing understanding that patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension should have specific health promotion or health education. In promoting the health of high blood pressure, nurses are regarded as health promoters who are patient-focused.

Nurses as managers of health promotion

Nurses should be in the position not only to plan and implement projects; they should also be able to evaluate interventions and projects used in promoting health (Brennan, et al., 2010, p. 65). This is because projects facilitate the aspect of promoting health amongst nurses. Therefore, nurses as managers of projects used in promoting health should assume the responsibility of not just supervising, but also leading research processes. They should as well have the capability to manage developmental and educational interventions in communities and hospitals.

Recommendations

Health promotion especially on chronic diseases has become more important today than before. Nurses whether in practice, education, as well as research environments can take part in the development of all aspects that enhance health promotion to the community and nursing practice. In the past, nurse educators have dwelt on informing high blood pressure patients how to manage their condition. However, today and coming days, the emphasis must be on informing people how to manage their illnesses and also how remain healthy. In order to execute these responsibilities, nurses must have an advanced comprehension of the impact that can result from health promotion interventions. The bottom line is that when nurses are versed or understand the issue well, they can easily communicate the same to people in a way that is clear. In conclusion, health promotion is necessary as it reminds people on how to manage their health. In addition, it is through health promotion that people who do not know their state of health offer themselves for check up. In general, health promotion programs can lead to a healthy population if it is well supported.

References

Brennan, T., McMahill-Walraven, C., Spettell, C., Villagra, V., Ofili, E., Quarshie, A., et al. (2010). Disease management to promote blood pressure control among African Americans. Population Health Managment, 13 (2), pp. 65-72.

Dodani, S. (2011). Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches for Hypertension Control and Prevention in Churches. International Journal of Hypertension, pp. 1-11.

Peters, R., Aroian, K., & Flack, J. (2007). African American Culture and Hypertension Prevention. West J Nurs Res, 28 (7), pp. 831–863.

UGORJ, J. (2012). the role of faith based organizations in combating chronic illnesses. Web.

Rankin, S., Stalling, K., & London, F. (2005). Patient Education in Health and illness. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkns.

Victor, R., Ravenell, J., & Leonard, D. (2009). A Barber-Based Intervention for Hypertension in African American Men: Design of a Group Randomized Trial. American Heart journal, 157 (1), pp. 30-36.

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