Youth-Led Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The proposed study will develop, test, and collect implementation data on a youth-led hypertension (HTN) education intervention, which will act as an electronic tool to guide youth through learning and then teaching adults on how to achieve better HTN control. Adults with HTN and youth will be recruited for user-centered design sessions to provide input in the development of a youth-led HTN education digital badge. The investigators will then recruit adult emergency department (ED) patients with uncontrolled HTN (blood pressure (BP) ≥130/80 mm Hg) who know (friend or family member) a youth (14-24 years old) and the youth themselves for a RCT. The adult plus youth dyad will be randomized to either: 1) intervention arm- 6-week youth-led HTN education digital badge at home- or 2) control arm- 6-week youth job readiness digital badge at home. In addition to the primary study outcome of adult BP change 2-months post-intervention, the investigator will collect secondary outcomes of HTN knowledge and youth self-efficacy, as well as implementation metrics of intervention acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity. Due to challenges recruiting youth through adults in the ED, we will be adding a cohort to the study where we will recruit interested youth from New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School (NBHSTHS). Specific aims are: Aim 1: Create a youth-led HTN education digital badge by means of user-centered design methods and community engagement with adults with HTN and youth to obtain input on the contents of the digital badge prior to implementation. Aim 1a: The hypertension knowledge assessment being used in the study has not been used before on youth or Spanish-speaking populations, so the investigators will obtain feedback on the assessment from these groups. Aim 2: Evaluate the effectiveness of a youth-led HTN education digital badge intervention on the primary outcome of mean systolic BP and diastolic BP change in adults with uncontrolled HTN at 2-months post-intervention compared to the control group (for participants recruited from the ED). Additionally, evaluate change in HTN knowledge and youth self-efficacy. Aim 3: Evaluate the implementation process of the youth-led HTN education digital badge by collecting qualitative and quantitative data on acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of the intervention by participants.

Detailed Description
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The proposed study will integrate user-centered design, community engagement, and implementation science, with a randomized controlled trial (RCT), to develop, test, and collect implementation data on a youth-led hypertension (HTN) education digital badge. The badge will act as an electronic tool to guide youth through learning and then teaching adults on how to achieve better HTN control. Adults with HTN and youth will be recruited for user-centered design sessions to provide input in the development of a youth-led HTN education digital badge. The investigators will then recruit adult emergency department (ED) patients with uncontrolled HTN (blood pressure (BP) ≥130/80 mm Hg) who know (friend or family member) a youth (14-24 years old) and the youth themselves for a RCT. The adult plus youth dyad will be randomized to either: 1) intervention arm- 6-week youth-led HTN education digital badge at home- or 2) control arm- 6-week youth job readiness digital badge at home. In addition to the primary study outcome of adult BP change 2-months post-intervention, the investigator will collect secondary outcomes of HTN knowledge and youth self-efficacy, as well as implementation metrics of intervention acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity. Due to challenges recruiting youth through adults in the ED, we will be adding a cohort to the study. For this new cohort of the study, we will recruit interested youth from New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School (NBHSTHS). Students will be asked to pair themselves with an adult (18+) (preference for adult who has been diagnosed with hypertension, but not mandatory) with an existing relationship with the student where it would be feasible to complete an online module together 1 hour per week for 6 weeks. The adult must be fluent in English or Spanish and the student must be able to speak the fluent language of the adult. We will evaluate the youth-led digital hypertension (HTN) education intervention- an electronic tool to guide youth through learning and then teaching and supporting adults on how to control hypertension (for adults with hypertension) and how to avoid it (for adults without hypertension). Outcomes of interest are HTN knowledge, confidence in HTN management, and health behavior changes in participants, which will be obtained through pre- and post- intervention assessments. We will also be exploring outcomes of participant acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of the intervention. Specific aims are: Aim 1: Create a youth-led HTN education digital badge by means of user-centered design methods and community engagement with adults with HTN and youth to obtain input on the contents of the digital badge prior to implementation. Aim 1a: The hypertension knowledge assessment being used in the study has not been used before on youth or Spanish-speaking populations, so the investigators will obtain feedback on the assessment from these groups. Aim 2: Evaluate the effectiveness of a youth-led HTN education digital badge intervention on the primary outcome of mean systolic BP and diastolic BP change in adults with uncontrolled HTN at 2-months post-intervention compared to the control group (for participants recruited from the ED). Additionally, evaluate change in HTN knowledge and youth self-efficacy. Aim 3: Evaluate the implementation process of the youth-led HTN education digital badge by collecting qualitative and quantitative data on acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of the intervention by participants.

Official Title
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A Youth-Led Digital Education Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure for Hypertensive Adults Who Present to the Emergency Department

Conditions
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Hypertension, Adolescent Behavior, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Youth-Led Hypertension Education Digital Intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Aim 1: Participants will be youth (15-18 years) and adults (18+ years old) with self-reported HTN diagnosis. Aim 1a: Participants will be youth (15-18 years) and Spanish-speaking adults (18+ years old) with self-reported HTN diagnosis. Aim 2: ED cohort: Eligible adult participants will be 18+ year old ED patients with a history of HTN and two high BP (≥ 130/80 mmHg) readings during their ED visit who know a 14-24 year old. The eligible youth participants (14-24- year-old) must have access to the internet or data plan and a smart phone or computer. School cohort: Youth Eligibility: Any interested student at New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School. Adult Eligibility: Adult (18+) (preference for adult who has been diagnosed with hypertension) with an existing relationship with the youth where it would be feasible to complete an online module together 1 hour per week for 6 weeks. Fluency in English or Spanish (youth must be able to speak fluent language). Aim 3: Everyone who consented to the RCT will be asked to complete a questionnaire, regardless of whether they completed the digital badge. Interested participants from the intervention arm will be recruited for the in-depth interviews. Exclusion Criteria: Aim 1: Age <15 years, inability to speak fluently in English or Spanish Aim 1a: Age <15 years, inability to speak fluently in English or Spanish Aims 2 and 3: ED cohort: Age <14 years, inability to speak fluently in English or Spanish, no access to the internet or a data plan and a smart phone or computer. School cohort: People who cannot take part in the study are people who are not able to speak fluently in English or Spanish (youth and adult must be able to speak the same language), and youth with no access to the internet or a data plan and a smart phone or computer. Aim 3 (interviews): Participants from the control arm will not be eligible for the in-depth interviews.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Study transitioned from a randomized controlled trial to a single group study. The total participants enrolled in the trial include all aspects of the study (including qualitative focus groups and interviews).
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention Arm<br>The intervention is a youth-led HTN education digital intervention, which will be comprised of a 6-week playlist of one module per week comprising the playlist. Youth will learn from the module and will teach the adult in their dyad about hypertension education in each week's themed module. | Behavioral: Youth-Led Hypertension Education Digital Intervention<br>* The intervention is a youth-led HTN education digital intervention, which will be comprised of a 6-week playlist of one module per week comprising the playlist. Youth will learn from the module and will teach the adult in their dyad about hypertension education in each week's themed module.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| For ED cohort: Blood pressure change | Change in systolic and diastolic adult blood pressure (in mm Hg) | Baseline to 1 week and 2 months post-intervention completion | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ED cohort: Hypertension knowledge (youth and adult) | Using assessment adapted from Williams et al.'s 1998 hypertension knowledge tool | Baseline and 1 week and 2 months post-intervention completion | 
| School cohort: Hypertension knowledge (youth and adult) | Using assessment adapted from Williams et al.'s 1998 hypertension knowledge tool | Baseline, at end of 6-week intervention, and 1 month post-6-week intervention | 
| Both ED cohort: Youth self-efficacy | Using a 3-item investigator-created assessment tool on confidence in managing high blood pressure | Baseline and 1 week and 2 months post-intervention completion | 
| School cohort: Youth self-efficacy | Using a 3-item investigator-created assessment tool on confidence in managing high blood pressure | Baseline, at end of 6-week intervention, and 1 month post-6-week intervention | 
| ED cohort: Adult blood pressure self-care | Using the Adult Blood Pressure Self-Care Scale (Warren-Findlow et al.) | Baseline and 1 week and 2 months post-intervention completion | 
| School cohort: Adult blood pressure self-care | Using the Adult Blood Pressure Self-Care Scale (Warren-Findlow et al.) | Baseline, at end of 6-week intervention, and 1 month post-6-week intervention | 
| ED cohort: Adult self-efficacy to manage HTN | Using Adult Self-Efficacy to Manage Hypertension Scale (Warren-Findlow et al.) | Baseline and 1 week and 2 months post-intervention completion | 
| School cohort: Adult self-efficacy to manage HTN | Using Adult Self-Efficacy to Manage Hypertension Scale (Warren-Findlow et al.) | Baseline, at end of 6-week intervention, and 1 month post-6-week intervention |