Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 May 9:11:42-48.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.05.002. eCollection 2018 Sep.

A community health worker intervention to improve blood pressure among Filipino Americans with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial

Rhodora A Ursua  1 , David E Aguilar  2 , Laura C Wyatt  3 , Chau Trinh-Shevrin  3 , Leonida Gamboa  4 , Pacita Valdellon  4 , Esperanza G Perrella  5 , Mohammad Z Dimaporo  5 , Potrirankamanis Q Nur  4 , S Darius Tandon  6 , Nadia S Islam  3
Affiliations

A community health worker intervention to improve blood pressure among Filipino Americans with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial

Rhodora A Ursua et al. Prev Med Rep. .

Abstract

Behavioral interventions utilizing community health workers (CHWs) have demonstrated effectiveness in improving hypertension disparities in ethnic minority populations in the United States, but few have focused on Asian Americans. We assessed the efficacy of a CHW intervention to improve hypertension management among Filipino Americans with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) in New York City (NYC) from 2011 to 2013. A total of 240 Filipino American individuals (112 in the treatment group and 128 in the control group) with uncontrolled hypertension (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg) were recruited from community-based settings in NYC. Using a community-based participatory research approach, treatment participants received 4 educational workshops and 4 one-on-one visits with CHWs over a 4-month period, while control group participants received 1 educational workshop. Main outcome measures included BP control, changes in SBP and DBP, and changes in appointment keeping at 8-months. At 8-months, BP was controlled among a significantly greater percentage of treatment group participants (83.3%) compared to the control group (42.7%). The adjusted odds of controlled BP for the treatment group was 3.2 times the odds of the control group (P < 0.001). Both groups showed decreases in SBP and DBP, with greater decreases among treatment participants. Significant between-group differences were also demonstrated in adjusted analyses (P < 0.001). Individuals in the treatment group showed significant changes in appointment keeping. In conclusion, a community-based intervention delivered by CHWs can help improve BP and related factors among Filipino Americans with hypertension in NYC.

Keywords: Asian Americans; Community health workers; Community-based participatory research; Hypertension; Immigrants; Minority health; Randomized controlled trial.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study participant recruitment and retention for Project AsPIRE, 2011–2013.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean systolic blood pressure over time by group, Project AsPIRE, 2011–2013.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Mean diastolic blood pressure over time by group, Project AsPIRE, 2011–2013.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adair R., Wholey D.R., Christianson J., White K.M., Britt H., Lee S. Improving chronic disease care by adding laypersons to the primary care team: a parallel randomized trial. Ann. Intern. Med. 2013;159(3):176–184. - PubMed
    1. American Public Health Association Community Health Workers. 2014. https://www.apha.org/apha-communities/member-sections/community-health-w... - PubMed
    1. Balcazar H.G., Byrd T.L., Ortiz M., Tondapu S.R., Chavez M. A randomized community intervention to improve hypertension control among Mexican Americans: using the promotoras de salud community outreach model. J. Health Care Poor Underserved. 2009;20(4):1079–1094. - PubMed
    1. Barnes P.M., Adams P.F., Powell-Griner E. Health characteristics of the Asian adult population: United States, 2004–2006. Adv. Data. 2008;394:1–22. - PubMed
    1. Bayog M.L., Waters C.M. Cardiometabolic risks, lifestyle health behaviors and heart disease in Filipino Americans. Eur. J. Cardiovasc. Nurs. 2017;16(6):522–529. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources