Pláticas de la presiόn arterial: Hypertension Education in the Hispanic Community

Hypertension is a serious disease that affects one out of three U.S. adults. Hispanics are significantly less likely to gain control of blood pressure (BP) if diagnosed. A review of literature revealed that barriers to BP control cited by Hispanics included language differences with health care providers, lack of health insurance, and Hispanic and U.S. cultural influences and that 6-week culturally and linguistically competent educational interventions can lead to reduction in BP. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a culturally and linguistically competent 6- week educational program will result in an increase in knowledge of hypertension and a normalization of BP. A quantitative, pretest-posttest study was conducted with a convenience sample of 6 Hispanic participants employed at a Mexican restaurant in the Scranton area. Participants completed two questionnaires that assessed baseline cardiovascular disease risk and knowledge of hypertension. Baseline BPs were measured. The participants attended 6 educational sessions about hypertension and lifestyle modifications that promote healthy BP. Participants’ BPs were checked at the end of each session. Following the 6 sessions, participants completed the hypertension knowledge assessment again. The study found that participants’ scores on the hypertension knowledge assessment significantly increased after the intervention. Changes in BP were not significant. Recommendations include improving cultural and linguistic competence in all health care settings; providing education to Hispanics on other health care topics; educating nurses in cultural and linguistic competence through clinical experiences; encouraging nurses to learn second languages; and further investigating effective hypertension educational interventions for Hispanics