Meal patterns and food choices of young African-American men: understanding eating within the context of daily life.

Although young African-American men are at particularly high risk of developing hypertension at an early age, dietary interventions that have successfully reduced blood pressure among African-American adults have not been translated into programs for this group. Life contexts such as school enrollment, participation in competitive athletics, and employment influence the daily activities and meal patterns of African-American men. This study explored the activities of young African-American men to identify opportunities to increase healthful food choices.

Views of hypertension among young African Americans who vary in their risk of developing hypertension.

Objectives: To describe beliefs about hypertension and health education of young African American adults varying in their hypertension risk status.

Design: Fifty-eight African American young adults (17-20 years) were selected based on low and high risk criteria for hypertension assessed in earlier investigations of hemodynamic responses to stress. The sample included 15 high risk males, 13 low risk males, 14 high risk females, and 16 low risk females who were interviewed indepth about their hypertension beliefs and health education experiences.