Developing and Implementing a Storytelling Intervention for African Americans Living With Hypertension

Narrative communication (e.g., storytelling) is an approach that has contributed to behavioral change for individuals with conditions such as diabetes, breast cancer, and hypertension. The objective of this study is to conduct a feasibility and pilot study storytelling intervention for African Americans with hypertension. In the feasibility phase 30 African Americans with hypertension will be recruited to view nine patient stories and provide feedback on the effectiveness, usefulness, and satisfaction with the stories. Nine African Americans adults with hypertension were filmed, sharing experiences living with and managing hypertension; including, diet and exercise tips, suggestions for locating healthy foods, and motivational stories about successfully controlling hypertension. During the feasibility phase feedback will also be elicited from the participants about the best approaches for delivering a storytelling intervention, and obtain feedback on the resources and health information that would be helpful to an individual participating in a storytelling intervention. In the pilot study phase, 30 African Americans adults with hypertension will be recruited to participate in a 6-week trial, each week the participants will watch one story and review one module of health information accessible through the study specific website developed for the HBPStories study. Data will be collected at baseline and 6-weeks including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, medication adherence, health behaviors such as diet and physical activity, and psychosocial measures including positive affect and self-efficacy in the management of hypertension.