A community-based educational approach to enhance learning outcomes in Black hypertension patients

The purpose of the study was to determine whether a community-based education program could enhance learning among Black hypertensive clients and whether a relationship exists between powerlessness and learning. The Abdur-Rahman Interaction Model provided the conceptual basis for the study. An experimental two-group, before-after design was used, with sixty (60) subjects from four church settings. The experimental group (n = 30) participated in a semi-structured hypertension education program. Data were collected using the Demographic Data Questionnaire, the Hypertension Knowledge Questionnaire and the Health Care Powerlessness Scale. A 2 x 2 analysis of variance revealed significant differences in knowledge scores between the experimental and control groups (19.76 vs. 14.86, p 0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a positive relationship between powerlessness and knowledge. The study findings indicate that a community-based intervention can enhance learning outcomes and that the variable powerlessness affects knowledge acquisition.