Browsing by Author "Nadeau, Gulnara"

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    Modifying DASH and Improving Dietary Habits to Reduce Hypertension Among Micronesian
    (2019-05-16) Nadeau, Gulnara; Van Hoose, Diane; Thompson Pagan, Joan
    Hypertension is an important risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases. Though hypertension is a common condition, which affects all ethnicities, Micronesians develop complications of untreated hypertension at a younger age. Many of these complications could be avoided with implementation of lifestyle modifications, including dietary approaches. This project introduced the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan to Micronesians living on the Big Island of Hawai‘i and evaluated effectiveness of the DASH plan. Concepts from the Health Belief Model and from Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory helped in guiding interventions during the development of the project. Thirty adult Micronesian participants were recruited during the Health Fest in Hilo in 2018. Blood pressure among participants in the hypertensive category was lowered after four weeks (mean systolic blood pressure and mean diastolic blood pressure changes were 18.9 mmHg and 10.3 mmHg, respectively). Thirty six percent reported that they had increased their consumption of vegetables. Twenty five percent recorded daily consumption of vegetables. This project identified several modifiable risk factors for hypertension and barriers to adherence to the DASH plan. Self-efficacy is a modifiable behavior, and the Health Belief Model could be targeted in future projects aimed at enhancing adherence to the DASH plan.