Adherence is a major problem for the approximately one-third of Americans over the age of 20 who suffer from Hypertension (HTN). Hypertension can be controlled through medication adherence and lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise). However, nearly 50% of those with HTN report poor adherence to their antihypertensive medications, lifestyle changes, or both as the primary reason for failing to control their blood pressure. Currently, behavioral interventions are limited to providing education or reminding individuals to take better care of themselves by starting and adhering to a proper diet and exercise program. Given the lack of adherence reported, education and reminders alone may not be sufficient to promote health behavior change. Interventions that appeal to individual's internal drive may be more effective, given that behavior adoption and maintenance are usually associated with intrinsic motivation and volition. Mindfulness practice is an intervention that shows promise in changing lifestyle behaviors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Program (UCLAMAP) on promoting self-management behaviors, specifically adherence to medication, diet, and exercise among those with HTN. We will randomize 52 individuals between the ages 40 to 64 who have difficulty with adherence to antihypertensive medications and lifestyle changes to the intervention group or the attention-control group. The intervention includes six sessions of the mindfulness training through UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). The Cohen's d metric will be used to determine the effect size of UCLAMAP on adherence to medication, diet, and exercise. Quantitative measures of adherence to UCLAMAP, program satisfactions scores, and frequency of daily mindfulness practice will be assessed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the UCLAMAP. The findings will establish effect size and feasibility of mindfulness as an intervention for improving health behaviors in patients with HTN, and provide evidence as to whether such an approach should be pursued in a comprehensive study.
Hypertension (HTN) affects nearly one-third of American's over the age of 20. While largely treatable, nearly half of those with HTN fail at keeping their blood pressure under control likely because they do not follow recommended health behaviors such as adhering to medication and following healthy eating and exercise guidelines. Therefore, interventions that successfully motivate individuals to adhere to their treatment plan are vital to the overall health outcome.
