Capstone assignment

A Capstone Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Healthcare Administration

PURDUE UNIVERSITY GLOBAL

April 2018

Hypertension: The Silent Killer

Method

Hypertension in black women is one of the leading causes of death. It is the silent killer because the only way it can be detected is through regular checkups. It can only be avoided if the patient (even with a genetic history of it) eats right, gets adequate exercise, and regular medical care. In the South the percentage of high blood pressure is high with “Alabama having a 34 percent rate of high blood pressure” ("This State Has the Highest Hypertension Rate", 2018). Black women are at risk more and more frequently of being diagnosed with this health issue as high blood pressure cases are on the rise, specifically in Alabama. The need for regular check ups is important and the research that needs to be done to support the claims is important because it helps to achieve the disparity of black women in their community.

Research methodologies are ways that different topics can be researched. Qualitative and Quantitative are specific ways a topic can be researched. Qualitative research looks for reasonings into a topic’s what, how, or why. You can gain a better understanding of essential thoughts, ideas, and purposes for the research of the topic. This research method focuses on using focus groups, interviews, and small samples in group participation. Quantitative research gears more towards being more structured than qualitative research. It’s method deal with using surveys, and studies to gain usable statistical data to put across facts and disclose patterns in the topic’s research findings. Quantitative research is a more appropriate topic to use when doing research on the topic of Hypertension in black women. Looking at the numbers and the delivery of the data is key when trying to teach your audience about the dangers of this health issue.

The study population of Hypertension in black women is not only black women in the United States but more specifically black women in Alabama. Alabama is a part of the South and the numbers from neighboring states are essentially the same. This research paper seeks to discuss the disparity of hypertension in black women living in Alabama. “Obesity rates in Alabama are third in the nation at 35.7%” ("Alabama State Obesity Data, Rates and Trends - The State of Obesity", 2018). This issue raises a lot of health issues because obesity is a link to high blood pressure and at the current rate of new cases “hypertension is projected to be 1,286,270 by 2030” %” ("Alabama State Obesity Data, Rates and Trends - The State of Obesity", 2018). The link in obesity and hypertension is understandable because with excessive weight comes the inability to be active. The inability to be active leads to all kinds of other health issues such as diabetes and obesity related cancer. Within the black community the women are more inactive due to the fact that they do not want to mess up their hair. Daily stressors have also been a link to high blood pressure. As a resident of Alabama, the racial divide is high and financially the State as a whole is financial debt. Currently Alabama has debt that mounts up to $28.2 billion with only 10.1 billion in assets” ("Alabama", 2018). Debt of this magnitude can cause for cuts in areas such as schools and the environment. These cuts lead to job cuts thus causing stress within the community.

Clinical research will be done on individuals that live in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama with a population of 212,000. The use of Birmingham will be the best fit as it encompasses all walks of life whom exhibit different types of lifestyles. 10 subjects will consist of black women ranging from the ages of 25-40. All body types will be chosen as not only women who are obese have high blood pressure. Participants whom have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure will be considered as it will be used to establish patterns into the none diagnosed participants as compared to the ones that do. This will allow for results to be compared into the reasons why and how patients are being diagnosed with high blood pressure. No other ethnicity will be evaluated. The subjects will come from different areas of the city. Preferably with different levels of positions at their jobs. Participates with no insurance will be highly encouraged to participate because not only will it be a way to gain a free health assessment, but we will need the data to examine what the participant does in response to regular health care.

Data will be collected using a qualitative approach. The individuals will be brought in as case studies through the University of Alabama at Birmingham medical research facility. The participants will be made known that their results will made publicized, but their identities will be protected. The participants will know this research will be done in order to fix the disparities of high blood pressure of women in the black community. Participants will be compensated for their time as this study will take a while because it will encompass an interview as well as a physical examination. Trained doctors will be giving the test as to not risk anyone hurting themselves. The case study will be done in the course of 2 days with interviews being down one day and physical examinations done the next day. On day one the participants will be asked several questions regarding their lifestyle and medical history. Questions such as: how often do they exercise, what does their diet consist of, do any family members have a history of high blood pressure, what (if any) stressors do they encounter at their jobs or in their life, what type of information do you know about high blood pressure, and whether not they have insurance and if they receive frequent medical attention such as annual physicals. The data collected will not be put in comparison to any other data from years past, but it will be put in comparison to each of the participants to evaluate what’s currently going on in the city in regard to the welfare of the black community. Day two the participants will be put through a series of tests ranging from range of motion exercises to incline running. Their pressure will be examined after each exercise. The participants will take a break between exercises, so their bodies can regulate itself then the next test will resume. The data will be kept in sealed envelopes to be analyzed as a whole.

The process into analyzing the data will be complex. Each group of women (based on age) will be placed in groups based on weight size. “44.1% of the population in Birmingham are black. 34% are women” ("Alabama State Obesity Data, Rates and Trends - The State of Obesity", 2018). Putting the participants in groups based off of weight is a good foundation because weight affects everything in the body. Comparison of their answers based off of their physical examination will take place. The results will be based off of the participant’s interview questions as they relate to the physical examination. Patterns will be established based off of all of the participants lifestyle choices as they relate to high blood pressure. Since high blood pressure is more prone when a person doesn’t exercise a lot, patterns in the patient’s interview answers on physical activity will be established by noting when the patient says they exercise and for how long. Patterns will be noted on whether a participant’s life stressors increased their probability of high blood pressure. Life stressors such as work, family, and money will noted possible reasons why the participant has high blood pressure or on the path to getting high blood pressure. Health insurance answers about the availability of it and patterns will be established as to why the patient does or does not seek regular health checkups and/or screenings. The data will be used as a way of reaching the black women in the community. Seeing factual data is important as it shows the audience [black women], that their choices of living are impacting their lives.

Alabama. (2018). Statedatalab.org. Retrieved 1 May 2018, from https://www.statedatalab.org/state_data_and_comparisons/detail/alabama