Documented Risk Factors and Less Documented Cultural Factors Contributing to African Americans Stroke in a Rural Mississippi County

The prevalence of stroke mortality in Mississippi, one of the highest in the nation and the third leading cause of death in Mississippi, is 18 percent higher than that in the United States. Each year, approximately 5,000 Mississippians suffer a stroke. Of special concern is the prevalence of stroke mortality among individuals under 65 years of age. Typically, stroke is uncommon before middle age and the risk of stroke doubles each succeeding decade after age 55. Among African American men, this statistic is alarmingly high in that 34 percent of all stroke deaths occur before age 65.

Two risk factors, overweight and high blood pressure, are associated with a high risk of stroke. The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans is higher than in whites and its results are more severe. African Americans with hypertension have an 80 percent higher prevalence of stroke mortality and a 50 percent higher prevalence of heart disease mortality. Almost one-third of those with hypertension are unaware of having it, and of those who have been diagnosed with hypertension, less than 30 percent have their high blood pressure controlled. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, the Delta (Washington County, which has a high percentage of African American residents) has the highest prevalence of stroke in Mississippi. Awareness of stroke risk factors, prevention measures, and symptoms is low nationwide and in Mississippi (Awareness of Stroke, 2004, Shahbazi et al., 2005). No empirical studies were conducted on these factors and possible associated cultural factors in the Mississippi Delta prior to our current study. Anthropological/anthropometric methodologies and approaches are being applied to assess overweight, cigarette smoking, and high blood pressure as risk factors for stroke survivors. Life histories and cultural practices are also being recorded and analyzed to determine possible associations. The initial findings indicate that some stroke survivors were not at risk for the well documented factors (smoking, overweight, etc). These and other progressing results will be shared with the participants.