Targeting Hypertension: Working with Rural Barbershops to Identify Hypertension and Encourage Treatment.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for one in every four U.S. deaths, has had a devastating impact on Mississippi's African American population. Seeking innovative mitigation models, this study assesses CVD prevalence and reach via barbershops to rural Mississippi African Americans.

Methods: Data was collected from barbershop clientele who consented to be screened and contacted for referral to clinical care if blood pressure was found to be elevated.

Results: Most participants were African American (97.7%, n=2,756) and male (54.4%). Descriptive findings revealed more than one-third of participants (34.2%) had elevated blood pressure at screening. Factoring in those with hypertension in control, we found lower rates of hypertension in the male population (males 51.4% vs. females 57.8%), a sharp contrast to national rates.

Conclusion: Evaluation findings suggest CVD prevalence in rural Mississippi is comparatively high but that barbershop partners were able to successfully reach and screen the target population.