Development of an Intervention to Promote Physical Activity and Reduce Dietary Sodium Intake for Preventing Hypertension and Chronic Disease in Filipino Americans

Grace X. Ma, Aisha Bhimla, Lin Zhu, Maayan Beeber, Ferdinand Aczon, Yin Tan, Sally Boyle Quinn, Omar Khan, Crystal A. Gadegbeku

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hypertension is a common chronic health condition affecting Filipino Americans. This pilot study examined the feasibility of addressing high rates of hypertension among Filipino Americans through the implementation of a culturally tailored education intervention. Filipino Americans living in the Greater Philadelphia Area were recruited through community-based organizations for participation and were engaged using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework. The study included pre- and post-intervention blood pressure measurements, self-reported body mass index, and questionnaires about physical activity and salt intake. The intervention to promote physical activity and reduce salt intake was conducted through two educational sessions and was accompanied by follow-up at 3 months and by the collection of urine samples for 24-h urinary sodium intake biomarker analysis. Following intervention, a non-statistically significant decrease in urine sodium was observed in both the intervention and the control groups. For systolic blood pressure, a reduction of 12.6 mmHg and an increase in 5.3 mmHg was observed in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Diastolic pressure decreased 3.8 mmHg for the intervention group and increased 5.6 mmHg among controls. The culturally tailored education intervention reported here represents a promising tool for blood pressure reduction in high-risk ethnic populations. The methods used were effective for the recruitment and retention of ethnic minorities in a community-based setting.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)283-292
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of racial and ethnic health disparities
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Community-based participatory research
  • Culturally tailored education intervention
  • Dietary sodium reduction
  • Ethnic minorities
  • Filipino Americans
  • Hypertension

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