Hypertension in African Americans

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Table of Contents

Problem/Question
Literature Review
Sample Selection
Methodology
Institutional Review Board
Data Analysis/Results
Discussion
References

Problem/Question

The research was will be carried out in African American population to find out what might be the real cause of hypertension among elderly people and how it can be prevented (Burns, Grove and Gray, 2010, p. 87). Hypertension is a medical condition that can limit the information given by its patients and their family members. This is because they do not have to go deep into the disease rather than understand how to administrate the prescribed medication. Therefore, according to Burns, Grove, and Gray (2010, p.56), the research question will be: What are the possible ways to prevent hypertension in African American population?

Literature Review

High blood pressure is a disease that affects African Americans in unique ways, which include early development unlike other people in the United States of America. This means that hypertension develops among young people in this group of people. Most cases of hypertension develop among the elderly in society due to reduced immunity in the body system (Klymko et al, 2008). In addition, those affected in African- American society remain with high chances of developing related complications. Unlike, in other parts of the US and the world in general, stroke, kidney diseases, blindness, and heart diseases are rampant among people with high blood pressure in African American societies (Terre, 2009).

Genetic factors contribute a lot to these unique exposures to hypertension and related complications. This can be proved by the fact that people back in Africa with their traditional lifestyles are less likely to acquire these diseases (Hekler et al, 2008). In addition, those who are unlucky to develop hypertension do not develop related complications easily (Hershkovitz et al, 2007). This happens to Americans, as well. Another factor that contributes to high blood pressure among African American population is environmental factors. The environment forces the black to adapt to new lifestyles, which include feeding habits and social lifestyles. (Hughson et al 2006). This means that they should adopt lifestyles that aim at improving their health and resisting the development of high blood pressure.

Sample Selection

The sample to be used for this study should be the young people in the African American population. Since the disease develops in young people, they are best fit to give data on what they think about hypertension and its prevention. The young blacks in America can provide adequate information regarding high blood pressure. They can openly discuss their lifestyles and feeding habits hence helping in the assessment of foods that can cause high blood pressure (Burns, Grove and Gray, 2010, p. 77).

The target population can be reached through social media at specified times. This means that since the majority of the target population is the youth who spend much of their time on social networks, they can be approached to respond to the set research questions.

Methodology

The research should use various methods to collect data from the selected sample of the population. Data collectors will make use of the internet through social networks to reach most of the target population. This means that data collectors will talk to their Facebook friends from the African American society and try to figure out what they think about the disease. In addition, data collectors will be sent to areas where these people are prevalent and try to carry out physical interviews to collect reliable information from society about hypertension.

Finally, researchers will use observation to collect information regarding hypertension in African American society (Burns, Grove, and Gray, 2010, p. 67). This will involve the known facts from past experiences. For example, they may observe their feeding habits and other lifestyles and compare with the present theories regarding hypertension and its prevention.

Dependent variables can be changed or manipulated by other factors. For example, the lifestyles of people in this society will be the dependent variables. This is because they can be varied by changing lifestyles hence altering the results (Hershkovitz et al, 2007). For instance, smoking increases the rate of developing hypertension but people may decide to quit smoking hence affecting the rate.

Independent variables cannot be changed by other factors hence remain fixed. Hypertension is the independent variable because once it has developed there is not much the researcher can do about it but to study how to deal with it. This means that once one has developed hypertension or related complications, not much can be done to reverse it. Studies can be carried out on how to manage it or prevent its occurrence to other people.

Confounding variables are variables whose presence affects the variables being studied. In this study culture is the confounding variable it affects variables being studied (Terre, 2009). This is where culture may prevent people from disclosing important information to the researchers. People in this society may have their theories regarding causes of hypertension hence affecting the study.

Institutional Review Board

It is ethical to keep all information given voluntarily in confidence at all times. This is noteworthy because respondents feel safe disclosing their health status to data collectors. Information regarding one’s health is vital and should be confidential hence disclosing it to the public may result in a court suit. To safeguard the participants, data collectors will be trained on ethically handling the respondents hence winning their trust.

Data Analysis/Results

A lot of data concerning hypertension will be collected from the research. For example, it will be possible to collect data regarding the age at which hypertension develops in many cases. In addition, researchers will be able to understand the taboos and other beliefs that are there concerning the alarming prevalence of the condition in African American society. Information about causes and prevention of the disease will also be collected and recorded (Terre, 2009).

After the study is carried, information will be compiled and analyzed using various tools of data analysis. Therefore, an inclusive report will be written so that it will help its audience to deal with the menace. It will be useful to the African American and other scholars in maintaining the condition.

Discussion

The research was to find what should be done to tackle the issue hypertension. This should include how the society should control their eating habits in order to curb the menace. All concerned people should make sure that they give vital information about how to handle the disease (Burns, Grove and Gray, 2010). Then the information gathered was to help the same people to handle complications related to hypertension.

The study may face several challenges which involve ignorance from people. This means that people may be unwilling to respond to questions asked or give partial information due to lack of knowledge on the disease. Data collectors may also face challenges due to language barrier where they may have to interview people with different languages hence requiring translation. In addition, the cost of carrying out the study may be high as data collectors may be required to move from places to places.

Finally, the study should come up with a report that will provide enough information to nurses and the public in general. This means that the information from the study should offer guidance on how to handle hypertension in this society. In addition, the report should recommend to the nurses on how to manage patients with high blood pressure related complications.

References

Burns, N., Grove, S. K. & Gray, J. (2010). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence-Based Practice. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Hekler, E. B., Lambert, J., Leventhal, E., Leventhal, H., Jahn, E. & Contrada, R. J. (2008). Commonsense illness beliefs, adherence behaviors, and hypertension control among African Americans. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 31(5). Web.

Hershkovitz, D., Burbea, Z., Skorecki, K. & Brenner, B. M. (2007). Fetal Programming of Adult Kidney Disease: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2(2). Web.

Hughson, M. D, Douglas-Denton, R., Bertram J. F. & Hoy, W. E. (2006). Hypertension, glomerular number, and birth weight in African Americans and white subjects in the southeastern United States. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 69(4). Web.

Klymko, K. W., Artinian, N. T., Washington, O. G., Lichtenberg, P. A. & VanderWal, J. S. (2008).Effect of impaired cognition on hypertension outcomes in older urban African Americans. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 17(6). Web.

Terre, T. (2009). Advancing the Prevention and Control of Hypertension. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 25(9). 123-134. Web.

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