The program is not accepting any participants right now, but organizers hope to continue it by securing grants for the initiative.
You can contact the coalition or learn more at www.mczig.com/chc09, or by calling (919) 470-8680.
BY KELSEY FAVRET
news@heraldsun.com; 419-6645
DURHAM -- Hypertension, often called the silent killer, is prominent in blacks.
To combat the disease, the Community Health Coalition has created the Blood Pressure Education Program. The program aims to educate patients about their condition and help eliminate racial disparities in treatment, said Dr. Elaine Hart-Brothers, founder of the coalition.
The program, which started Sept. 10, lasts 12 weeks and consists of two groups: the intervention group, which comes to all 12 meetings, and the nonintervention group, which attended the first meeting and will also go to the last one.
"The program is an effort to show that working with people on a continuous basis can help control their condition," Williams said.
At the first two-hour meeting, 21 people with hypertension showed up, said Bertha Williams, the instructor of the program. Ten participants were randomly selected for the intervention group. Pre-questionnaires at the first meeting, post-questionnaires at the last and baseline blood pressures taken at both meetings will assess the effectiveness of the program, Williams said.
"We hope the program will change the behavior and lifestyles of our participants," she said.
Each participant received a blood pressure monitor at the beginning of the program.
The program involves a wide range of educational topics that will be discussed at the meetings. Topics include how to measure and understand blood pressure readings and the effects of nutrition and stress on hypertension.
The program tries to make the application of the topics realistic. For example, when nutrition was the topic, they focused on "making the food tasty," Williams said. The goal is to present hypertension in a manageable light.
" They are excited about the program. They are here, and usually here early," Williams said of the participants.
Each meeting has a 15-minute exercise segment with dancing, walking and chair exercises, Williams said. "We want to make it realistic for everyone," Williams said.
When asked if the program has had a positive effect so far, Williams responded, "Absolutely yes!" She continued to explain that the people in the program have developed a comfort level with each other. This creates a support system made up of peers that they can relate to. "The program is really bringing people together," says Williams.
