THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS INTEGRATED PROJECT IS TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, COMMUNITY-BASED HYPERTENSION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BY COMBINING RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES, AN EXTENSION SYSTEM AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE WILL:(1) DEVELOP A THEORY-DRIVEN, COMMUNITY-BASED HYPERTENSION SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. USING A MATCHED-PAIR, CLUSTER RANDOMIZATION, 16 COMMUNITY SITES THROUGHOUT 8 MARYLAND COUNTIES WILL BE SELECTED AND 240 HYPERTENSIVE OLDER ADULTS (≥60) WILL BE RECRUITED.THE INTERVENTION WILL CONSIST OF I) AN 8-WEEK DASH-PLUS EDUCATION (DIETARY APPROACHES TO STOP HYPERTENSION DIET WITH EXERCISE AND HYPERTENSION SELF-CARE SKILLS), II) 'IMPERFECT FOODS' PRODUCE DELIVERY TO INCREASE PRODUCE ACCESSIBILITY AND III) SELF-MEASURED BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING. AN HYPERTENSION RECIPE BOOKLET TAILORED TO THE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS WILL ALSO BE DEVELOPED BY DIETETIC STUDENTS THROUGH A FORMAL CLASSROOM SETTING. FURTHER, A CULTURE OF HEATH WILL BE PROMOTED THROUGH A PEER SUPPORT MODEL.(2) TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM IN IMPROVING HYPERTENSION-RELATED OUTCOMES (BLOOD PRESSURE, SELF-CARE SKILLS, DIET QUALITY, PERCEIVED PRODUCE ACCESSIBILITY) AND WHETHER THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS DIFFERS ACCORDING TO MODERATING VARIABLES SUCH AS RACE, GENDER, AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.(3) DISSEMINATE THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE EXTENSION SYSTEM. IN THE FINAL YEAR, THE APPROACH WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION PROGRAM TO DELIVER IT TO VARIOUS COMMUNITY SITES.BY LEVERAGING EXISTING RESOURCES FROM THE AGING NETWORK, EXTENSION, PRODUCE DELIVERY APPROACH AND EDUCATION SYSTEM, THIS STUDY WILL DEMONSTRATE CREATIVE AND FEASIBLE MEANS TO TACKLE UNCONTROLLED BLOOD PRESSURE IN OLDER ADULTS. THIS CONCERTED ACTION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS WILL EXPEDITE INTERDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE.

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators