Rationale and design of Faith-based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension (FAITH), a lifestyle intervention targeting blood pressure control among black church members.

Background: Uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) is a significant public health problem among blacks in the United States. Despite the proven efficacy of therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) on blood pressure (BP) reduction in clinical trials, few studies have examined their effectiveness in church-based settings-an influential institution for health promotion in black communities.

Methods: Using a cluster-randomized, 2-arm trial design, this study evaluates the effectiveness of a faith-based TLC intervention vs health education (HE) control on BP reduction among hypertensive black adults.