Graduation Semester and Year

2019

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Donelle M Barnes

Abstract

The most widely used form of mobile health technology has been text messaging. Because of the wide use, acceptability, and cost effectiveness of text messaging it may be a useful tool to develop hypertension self-management interventions for African American older adults with hypertension. Despite the wide use of text messaging interventions, no studies were found that include a large sample of African American older adults, with hypertension and the use of text messaging to improve blood pressure control and medication adherence. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot feasibility study was to determine if a text message intervention has an effect on blood pressure and medication adherence among African American older adults 60 years of age and older with hypertension. Using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent comparison group design 44 participants were recruited from two African American churches in north Texas (n=21 control group; n=23 treatment group). Blood pressure and medication adherence scores were collected at baseline and two months post intervention. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure improved from baseline to two months post intervention in both groups (systolic mean 137.09; SD=17.22 at baseline to mean 132.77; SD=14.31; diastolic mean 82.68; SD=9.11 at baseline to 79.27; SD=9.45). Medication adherence also improved overtime from both groups and was found to be statistically significant from baseline to post intervention F(1, 42) = 15.12, p < .001, η2 = .265. Participants indicated that text messages were useful in motivating them to adhere to medication protocols (87%) and that once a week was the preferred timeframe to receive text messages about medication adherence (91.3%). Findings from this study suggest that text messaging interventions may be useful in controlling blood pressure and improving medication adherence among African American older adults. However, more research is needed to fully realize the efficacy of this treatment.

Keywords

Hypertension, Medication adherence, Text messaging

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

28863-2.zip (1249 kB)

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.