Choosing Lifestyle Changes for Promoting Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in a Church Setting
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Date
2024-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hypertension (HTN) affects approximately 55% of African Americans. The frequency of uncontrolled hypertension is 27.4% in Black communities compared to 17% in White communities. Purpose: This initiative's purpose was to provide a 6-week Biblically enhanced With Every Heartbeat is Life (WEHL) program in a church setting. The program emphasized self-care management, lifestyle change, and health education to lower blood pressure readings. Method: The Faith Community Nursing (FCN) Model and WEHL structured program guided its implementation. FCN emphasizes concepts of lifestyle change, patient education, and spiritual support. The WEHL program aligns biblical scripture with each weekly lesson promoting lifestyle change or health education. Outcome: Outcomes revealed a decline of 13 millimeters of mercury in the group’s systolic blood pressure measurement. There was a decline of 10 millimeters of mercury in the group’s diastolic blood pressure measurement. Conclusion: The FCN model along with a structured program emphasizing self-care, disease management, lifestyle change, health promotion, and education positively influences outcomes. The church is an ideal setting for health programs targeting the African American/black community. Nursing Implications: A primary focus of nursing is health promotion and education. Nurses are well positioned to embrace the concepts of community-based care that emphasizes lifestyle changes as a standard treatment modality for hypertension.
Keywords: Hypertension, African Americans/Blacks, faith community nursing, With Every Heartbeat is Life
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Keywords
Cardiovascular, Church setting, Lifestyle changes, Risk reduction