Engaging Religious Leaders to Reduce Blood Pressures in Tanzanian Communities

Weill Medical College of Cornell University16,046 enrolled

Overview

The investigators hypothesize that communities in which religious leaders are provided with education about blood pressure and how to measure blood pressure will have lower overall average blood pressures than communities in which religious leaders do not receive education about blood pressure.

This research is being done to determine whether the Religious Engagement in Health Intervention can reduce community blood pressure. The study is being conducted in the Northwestern Tanzania. 20 communities will be involved: 10 will be randomized to the Religious Engagement in Health Intervention arm, and 10 will be randomized to the control arm. The Religious Engagement in Health Intervention includes the following three evidence-based components: (1) educational sessions for Christian and Muslim leaders on religious teachings and medical aspects of blood pressure, (2) equipping religious leaders to provide blood pressure teaching in their communities using knowledge learned from educational sessions and through longitudinal mentorship meetings, and (3) community blood pressure screening organized by religious leaders in partnership with local health care workers, and referrals for clinical care as needed.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

16,046

Conditions

Hypertension

Interventions

Religious Engagement in Health InterventionBEHAVIORAL

Religious Engagement in Health Intervention for blood pressure (BP) includes three evidence-based components: (1) educational sessions for Christian and Muslim leaders on religious teachings and medical aspects of BP, (2) equipping religious leaders to provide BP teaching in their communities using knowledge learned from educational sessions and through longitudinal mentorship meetings, and (3) community BP screening organized by religious leaders in partnership with local health care workers, and referrals for clinical care as needed.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 35 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adult ≥35 years of age * Has lived in the community for ≥1 year * Household identified for random sampling is primary residence: has slept in the household at least once in the past 2 weeks and considers this their primary residence Exclusion Criteria: * First-degree relative from the same household already enrolled * Relative of the same sex from the same household already enrolled

Locations (1)

Community

Wards, Mwanza, Geita, and Simiyu Regions, Tanzania

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Mean Change in Community Systolic Blood Pressure

Before and 12 months after the intervention, investigators will estimate the true mean community BP by sampling 400 randomly selected adult community members (age ≥35 years) in each of the 20 communities.

Time frame: Baseline; 12months

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Awareness of Hypertension

Change in the percent of people with hypertension who are aware that they have hypertension, from baseline to 12 months

Time frame: Baseline; 12 months

Change in Awareness of Hypertension

Change in the percent of people with hypertension who are aware that they have hypertension, from baseline to 24 months

Time frame: Baseline; 24 months

Change in Treatment of Hypertension

Change in percent of people with hypertension who are on treatment for hypertension, from baseline to 12 months

Time frame: Baseline; 12 months

Change in Treatment of Hypertension

Change in percent of people with hypertension who are on treatment for hypertension, from baseline to 24 months

Time frame: Baseline; 24 months

Change in Body Mass Index

Change in body mass index between baseline and 12 months.

Time frame: Baseline; 12 months

Change in Body Mass Index

Change in body mass index between baseline and 24 months.

Time frame: Baseline; 24 months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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