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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Lisa M. Lewis, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 420 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6096, 215 898 0828, lisaml@nursing.upenn.edu

African-American (AA) elders are less likely to have adequate blood pressure (BP) control when compared to their Caucasian-American (CA) counterparts (Chobanian et al., 2003). This disparity in BP control is largely due to poorer adherence (ADH) to antihypertensive medications identified in the AA community (Lee et al., 1996). Cultural beliefs may be key to developing interventions aimed at increasing ADH to antihypertensive medication in AA elders. Spirituality has been identified as an important part of AA elders' belief system (Johnson et al., 2005). However, few studies have investigated hypertensive AA elders' use of spirituality in their decisions to adhere to antihypertensive medications This qualitative study was designed to understand AA elders' use of spirituality in the decision making process to adhere to prescribed antihypertensive medications. The following research questions guided this study: (1) How does spirituality influence hypertensive AA elders' medication ADH? (2) What contextual factors encourage the use of spirituality in hypertensive AA elders' decisions to adhere to antihypertensive medications? and (3) What contextual factors hinder the use of spirituality in AA elders' decisions to adhere to antihypertensive medications? In-depth individual face to face interviews were conducted with twenty clients from a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) located in an urban area of the northeastern U.S. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed and will be analyzed for major themes. Major themes will be developed into suggestions for interventions which may capitalize on AA elders' spiritual beliefs in order to increase their ADH to antihypertensive medications.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to

• Identify at least two reasons for exploring African-American elders' use of spirituality in the decision to adherence to anithypertensive medications.
• Identify at least two contextual factors that influence African-American elders' use of spirituality in adherence to anithypertensive medications.
• Discuss at least three spiritually-based strategies to increase African-American elders' adherence to anithypertensive medication.

Keywords: Adherence, Religion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered