Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects
Title
Improving Adherence to Antihypertensive Medications Among Somali Patients in a Primary Care Clinic
Access Control
Open Access
Embargo Period
4-28-2016
Degree Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Track
Family Nurse Practioner
Year Degree Awarded
2016
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
Hypertension, non-adherence, medications, antihypertensive, poor health literacy, Somali
Advisor
Pamela Aselton
DNP Project Chair
Pamela Aselton
DNP Project Member Name
Raeann LeBlanc
DNP Project Outside Member Name
Vasumathi Nallusamy
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate if the use of an evidenced-based educational program delivered to adult Somali hypertensive participants at a community-based clinic in Minneapolis can improve their adherence to antihypertensive medications and blood pressure control. Methods: A convenient sample of 10 participants who met the inclusion criterion consented to take part of the educational program. The Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale was utilized to measure outcomes of the program. In addition to that, each participant’s blood pressure was checked at pre and post intervention. Results: The statistical test of paired t-test was used to analyze data. The pre intervention scores had a mean of 21. 80 (SD= 1.55) and the post intervention scores had a mean of 18.30 (SD=1.32). The correlation between pre and post scores was 0.44 (P= 0.21). The mean differences between pre and posttest scores were 3.50 (SD= 4.86). The resulting t-value with 9 degrees of freedom is 2.28, p= 0.05. There was no statistical difference found between pre and post intervention scores and BP measurements. Conclusion: Hypertension is known to be a silent killer and poor adherence to blood pressure medications and treatment therapy is a major risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Even though the outcome of the educational program did not seen a significant change in such a short time, there is a possible lasting effect of the education in the long run. A culturally appropriate educational program that is employed using oral communication, storing telling or visual images has the potential to make a profound change both in the individual and within the community.
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