Translating the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)Diet Into an Urban, African-American Community in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Hypertension (HTN) is a prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal disease, and disproportionately affects African Americans (AA). Although HTN awareness and treatment rates among AA are similar to, or exceed non-Hispanic whites, control of HTN among AAs remains inadequate. Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of lifestyle measures in lowering BP, including the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which lowers systolic BP 6-14 mmHg. DASH calls for increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy, and decreased saturated fat and sodium intake. There is limited evidence that DASH has been widely adopted by the public and AA from lower income communities may be less able to adopt DASH as currently disseminated due to barriers related to income, education, attitudes about foods, health beliefs, and neighborhood availability of healthier foods. We propose to utilize quantitative and qualitative research techniques (including focus groups and surveys) to assess environmental, intra-personal, interpersonal and cultural factors that could affect the translation of the DASH diet in a low-income AA community, then utilize the knowledge gathered to adapt existing intervention strategies and tools. These will provide the materials for a randomized three month pilot lifestyle intervention implementing the DASH diet. The 40 participants will be aged 21+ and have pre-HTN or HTN with blood pressure between 120-150/80-95 mmHg on 0,1 or 2 antihypertensive agents, and will be AA residents of two zip codes in Winston-Salem (a lower-income area whose population is significantly minority).