Clinical trial NCT00325533: Effectiveness of a Barbershop-Based Program to Improve High Blood Pressure Control and Awareness in Black Men
Official title: Group Randomized Trial of a Barber-Based Intervention to Improve Hypertension Control in Black Men
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Hypertension
Keywords: Blood Pressure, High
Blacks
African Americans
Lead sponsor: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
name: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
name: Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
First posted: 2006-05-15
Enrollment: 2319
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: Black men in the United States have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure than men of any other ethnic or racial group. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a high blood pressure detection and medical referral program conducted by barbers in predominantly Black barbershops at increasing awareness and lowering blood pressure levels among their Black male customers.

Detailed description: High blood pressure affects approximately 35% of Black men in the United States. This may be due to the fact that Black men frequently have an unusually high number of risk factors for high blood pressure, including diabetes, high stress levels, and increased salt intake and sensitivity. While high blood pressure can often be controlled through diet, lifestyle changes, or medication, it is a chronic asymptomatic medical condition for which individuals should remain under the care of a regular medical provider. A predominantly Black barbershop may be an optimum and receptive setting for an intervention that focuses on improving the detection and treatment of high blood pressure among Black men. In this study, barbers, deemed as influential peers, will be trained to continually monitor their customers' blood pressure, deliver health messages designed to change risk perception and ideas about healthcare utilization, and provide social support for changes in healthcare-seeking behavior and blood pressure levels. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a barbershop-based intervention at increasing blood pressure awareness and lowering blood pressure levels among Black male customers. With over 18,000 Black barbershops in the United States, the results from this study may be extremely influential in improving the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure in Black men.

This study will enroll Black men who are regular customers at a participating barbershop. Each barbershop will be randomly assigned to either a 10-month intervention group or a control group. Nurses will train the intervention group barbers to measure blood pressure and deliver health messages related to blood pressure control during each customer's visit. Before and after the intervention, study researchers will interview barbers and customers over an 8-week period to collect information on blood pressure control. A 12-month follow-up visit will include assessments of blood pressure levels, customer recognition of elevated blood pressure levels, and the number of customers receiving regular medical care.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* African American
* Regular customer at one of the participating barbershops

Exclusion Criteria:

* Does not speak English

Primary outcomes:
measure: Percentage of customers with high blood pressure who achieve recommended systolic and diastolic blood pressure values
timeFrame: Measured at 12 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Customer recognition of elevated blood pressure levels
timeFrame: Measured at 12 months
measure: Number of customers with high blood pressure with a regular medical provider
timeFrame: Measured at 12 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
name: Ronald G. Victor, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Rader F, Elashoff RM, Niknezhad S, Victor RG. Differential treatment of hypertension by primary care providers and hypertension specialists in a barber-based intervention trial to control hypertension in Black men. Am J Cardiol. 2013 Nov 1;112(9):1421-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2013.07.004. Epub 2013 Aug 23.
citation: Victor RG, Ravenell JE, Freeman A, Leonard D, Bhat DG, Shafiq M, Knowles P, Storm JS, Adhikari E, Bibbins-Domingo K, Coxson PG, Pletcher MJ, Hannan P, Haley RW. Effectiveness of a barber-based intervention for improving hypertension control in black men: the BARBER-1 study: a cluster randomized trial. Arch Intern Med. 2011 Feb 28;171(4):342-50. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.390. Epub 2010 Oct 25.
citation: Victor RG, Ravenell JE, Freeman A, Bhat DG, Storm JS, Shafiq M, Knowles P, Hannan PJ, Haley R, Leonard D. A barber-based intervention for hypertension in African American men: design of a group randomized trial. Am Heart J. 2009 Jan;157(1):30-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2008.08.018.