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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Russell M. Morgan, DrPH, SPRY Foundation, President, 10 G Street, NE, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20002-4215 and Robert L. Bertera, DrPH, CHES, SPRY Foundation, Evaluation Research, 10 G Street, NE, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20002-4215, 301-603-1467, berterar@aol.com.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is an important contributor to health disparities. The Heart Healthy Program was developed and implemented by SPRY Foundation in 5 US cities to educate underserved youth ages 9-14 and older adults, most of whom were over 70, about high blood pressure. A total of 132 middle-school students and 81 older adults from predominantly lower-socioeconomic areas participated. The majority of participants were from a racial or ethnic minority (African American, Hispanic and Asian in that order). The two-hour workshops used informal science and active learning principles; children and seniors were paired for collaborative activities including taking blood pressure, discussing physical activity, reading food labels, and preparing Healthy Contracts. An innovative feature of the curriculum was that the seniors and children learned together, with activities designed to promote shared learning and to minimize adults performing as tutors. A pretest-posttest evaluation was used to measure knowledge and attitude changes. Learning outcomes were measured by 5-point Likert scales on high blood pressure knowledge and self-efficacy. Results showed that intergenerational learning significantly increased health knowledge and self-efficacy. For example, knowledge of hypertension increased significantly in older adults and youth (32.3 and 30.0%); also, self-efficacy scores associated with preventing and managing hypertension increased in older adults (26.1%) and youth (8.3%). These findings suggest that health professionals should consider intergenerational shared learning as a promising tool for high blood pressure education in low SES minority populations, and for other health topics relevant to both children and adults such as diabetes, exercise, and diet.

Learning Objectives: