Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Intervention Reduces Blood Pressure among Hypertensive African American Patients in a Neighborhood Health Care Center

The purpose of this study was to pilot-test DASH-Dinner with Your Nutritionist, a university-neighborhood health care center intervention to promote the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Study participants were low-income African American adults (N = 82) with poorly controlled blood pressure. Six groups, each consisting of 12 to 15 participants taking antihypertensive medications, met for 1 to 2 hours per week for 8 weeks. The intervention followed constructs of Social Cognitive Theory and featured dinners based on the DASH diet plan. Blood pressure was significantly lowered (P < .05) among participants who missed no more than 2 of 8 sessions. Extension of the DASH-Dinner model could improve blood pressure control among low-income hypertensive African Americans and reduce health disparities.