Hypertension in African American

Hypertension in African American
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Hypertension is one of the health problems that commonly and progressively affect the African Americans whose mortality rate is significant enough. However, the many causes that result in hypertension can be avoided, but there is the level of self- care is low among the African Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010). There should be well-planned actions aimed to educate the African Americans about the dangers of hypertension, how to prevent it and the diagnosis. Unfortunately, the information available about the beliefs and attitude of the African American on prevention of hypertension is very limited (Peters, Aroian, & Flack, 2006). Therefore, by creating awareness on the dangers of hypertension, education on self- cares behaviors and treatment will reduce its disparity.
Due to low engagement in life- care behaviors among the African Americans, this group has been at higher risk of getting hypertension. The impacts resulting in the dominance of hypertension have far been experienced among the individual, across the community and the government areas through incurring the high cost (Reckelhoff, 2001). A lot can be done regarding the economic and social situations of the African Americans that will promote, prevent and provide intervention for hypertension. The positive part is that hypertension is preventable and the associated impacts resulting from it can be reduced to great extent. The focus should turn on the promotion of positive lifestyle, dealing with early signs of hypertension and taking an early intervention.

The efforts need to go beyond the individual and health sector and involve the whole community and government. This will require the provision of education, better health, employment and other services to African American.
The available literature on hypertension among the African American indicates group education program has been effective in reducing the level of hypertension in two periods (Victor, Ravenell, Freeman, Leonard, Bhat, Shafiq, & Coxson, 2011). Though, the significance of change was more experienced in whites. The analysis identified predictors to awareness as diabetes, obesity, and application of preventive care.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). A closer look at African American men and high blood pressure control: A review of psychosocial factors and systems-level interventions. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services.
Peters, R. M., Aroian, K. J., & Flack, J. M. (2006). African American culture and hypertension prevention. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 28(7), 831-854.
Reckelhoff, J. F. (2001). Gender differences in the regulation of blood pressure. Hypertension, 37(5), 1199-1208.
Victor, R. G., Ravenell, J. E., Freeman, A., Leonard, D., Bhat, D. G., Shafiq, M., … & Coxson, P. G. (2011). Effectiveness of a barber-based intervention for improving hypertension control in black men: the BARBER-1 study: a cluster randomized trial. Archives of internal medicine, 171(4), 342-350.