Traditional and Virtual Hypertension Self-Management Health Education Program Delivered Through Cooperative Extension

Authors

Michelle Parisi, ClemsonFollow
Ellie Lane, Clemson UniversityFollow
Cheryl J. DyeFollow
Rhonda Matthews, Clemson UniversityFollow
Danielle McFallFollow
Ethan Bain, College of CharlestonFollow
Windsor W. Sherrill, Clemson UniversityFollow

Abstract

Fewer than 25% of individuals in the United States with hypertension have controlled blood pressure (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Hypertension Management Program (HMP) adopted the Health Coaches for Hypertension Control^© (HCHC^©) curriculum and adapted it for delivery by Extension agents. Eight lessons with intermittent health coaching calls were delivered. Pre/post-participation surveys determined changes in knowledge and self-reported weight, systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The pandemic forced a shift in methodology from in-person to virtual delivery, and results were compared. In both traditional and virtual programs, significant differences were found in weight, knowledge scores, and SBP from pre- to post-participation. Mean reduction in weight for in-person and virtual programs was 1.9 lb (p = 0.0047) and 3.5 lb (p = 0.043) respectively. Knowledge scores increased significantly for in-person (p = 0.000) and virtual program (p = 0.0006) participants. Mean reduction in SBP of 5.5 mmHg (p = 0.0009) and 1.9 (p = 0.0338) was observed in in-person and virtual participants, respectively. DBP significantly decreased by a mean of 8.5 mmHg (p = 0.0421) for virtual HMP participants and approached significance in traditional programs (decrease of 5.5 mmHg, p = 0.0649). Results suggest that participation in HMP, whether in-person or virtual, could help participants reduce their risk of cardiovascular events through blood pressure self-management.

Recommended Citation

Parisi, M., Lane, E., Dye, C. J., Matthews, R., McFall, D., Bain, E., & Sherrill, W. W. (2022). Traditional and Virtual Hypertension Self-Management Health Education Program Delivered Through Cooperative Extension. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 10(3), 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1435

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