Background:
Minorities in the United States have disproportionately higher risk of stroke, early-onset, and more severe strokes than non-Hispanic Whites. Hypertension (HTN) is an independent and modifiable risk factor for stroke. Recent prevalence estimates of HTN in minorities in Niagara Region is not available. Health campaign to barbershops is well-established to be effective for HTN management in black men. This pilot study was conducted to screen for HTN in Barbershops to determine the prevalence of HTN in black men in the Niagara Region.
Methods:
Barbershops were randomly selected by convenience, and patron’s participation (≥18 years) were voluntary. Blood pressure (BP) screening and stroke education campaign were conducted concurrently in partnership with 7 barbershop owners in the Niagara Region from September 13, 2019 to February 10, 2020. Participant’s age, race, gender, and BP using automated BP machine were recorded. BP readings were stratified into 3 groups based on severity: High risk (BP ≥ 140/90mmHg), intermediate risk/caution (BP 120-139/80-89mmHg) and low risk (BP ≤ 120/< 80mmHg). Hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 140/90. Data was stored in Excel and analysis performed with SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).
Results:
Of the 57 that participated in this study, approximately 75.4% (n=43) were male; 89.4% (n=51) were Black, 5.3% (n=3) were Hispanic and 5.3% (n=3) were other race/ethnicity. Participants’ ages ranged between 18-71 years with a mean age of 36.4 years (95% CI [32.9, 39.8]). Mean systolic BP was 132.14 mmHg (95% CI [128.00, 136.28]) and mean diastolic BP was 86.35 mmHg (95% CI [81.21, 91.50). Approximately 70.0% of total participants were in the high and intermediate risk group categories, with participants younger patients (i.e. age ≤ 40 years) accounted for 73.0% of the high risk group.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of high blood pressure among minorities in Niagara Region is high and above previous estimates reported in the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline (41% to 55%). Barbershops may provide future opportunities for screening and recruiting subjects for interventions that reduce BP and its risk factors. Further studies should be conducted in larger populations to reduce the uncertainties around the prevalence estimate of HTN
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