Self-Reported Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Associated Hopelessness in African American Participants of a Church-Placed Health Screening Program

Objective: This study evaluates patient inertia (PtInert) factors including hopelessness in African Americans participating in church cardiovascular screening programs in low income areas in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Patient inertia is defined as an inability to assume adequate hypertension self-management behaviors, leading to poorly controlled hypertension. Previous findings revealed hopelessness related to blood pressure (BP) control as a key PtInert factor in acute medical environment participants. Design: Questionnaires were administered by facilitated interview. Clinical components of the cardiometabolic syndrome were obtained. Setting: The study was conducted within six Forsyth County churches that were participating in cardiovascular screening programs sponsored by the Consortium for Southeastern Hypertension Control. Participants: 67 African Americans (72% female; 49% personal history of hypertension) with an average age of 55 years served as study participants. Results: Participants without a history of hypertension were overweight, pre-hypertensive, and normocholesterolemic while those with a history of high BP receiving antihypertensive treatment were normocholesterolemic, obese, and on average had a BP of 143/75 mm Hg. Hopelessness related to BP control was found in 18% of those with a personal history of high BP. A significant relationship was found between hopelessness and family history of high BP, perceived ability to control high BP, and frustration with BP treatment. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that hopelessness, while exhibited less often in church participants as compared to previous findings in the acute medical environment, is associated with participant thoughts, feelings, and histories but is not associated with clinical components of the metabolic syndrome. (Ethn Dis. 2014;24[1]:60–66)