Objective: To describe the baseline characteristics of participants in the Faith-based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension (FAITH) Trial.Design: FAITH evaluates the effectiveness of a faith-based lifestyle intervention vs health education control on blood pressure (BP) reduction among hypertensive Black adults. Setting, Participants, and Main Measures:Participants included 373 members of 32 Black churches in New York City. Baseline data collected included participant demographic characteristics, clinical measures (eg, blood pressure), behaviors (eg, diet, physical activity), and psychosocial factors (eg, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms).Results: Participants had a mean age of 63.4 ± 11.9 years and 76% were female. About half completed at least some college (53%), 66% had an income ≥$20,000, and 42.2% were retired or on disability. Participants had a mean systolic and diastolic BP of 152.1 ± 16.8 mm Hg and 86.2 ± 12.2 mm Hg, respectively, and a mean BMI of 32 kg/m 2 . Hypertension (HTN) medications were taken by 95% of participants, but most (79.1%) reported non-adherence to their regimen. Participants reported consuming 3.4 ± 2.6 servings of fruits and vegetables and received 30.9% of their energy from fat. About one-third (35.9%) reported a low activity level. Conclusion:Participants in the FAITH trial exhibited several adverse clinical and behavioral characteristics at baseline. Future analyses will evaluate the effectiveness of the faith-based lifestyle intervention on changes in BP and lifestyle behaviors among hypertensive Black adults. Ethn Dis. 2015;25[3]:337-344.

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PurposeTo determine the lifestyle behaviors that act as barriers to controlling blood pressure among a sample of hypertensive persons of African descent.MethodsA total of 25 people of African descent diagnosed with hypertension (HTN) were recruited at 3 churches, one African American (AA, N=10), one African immigrant (AI, N=7), and one predominantly West Indian (WI, N=8). A Nominal Group Technique (NGT) focus group session was held at each church. Each group generated a list of responses to the question: “What are some things that make it hard for people to follow lifestyle recommendations to take care of their high blood pressure?” Participants then ranked their top responses, and the rankings were summed. The 10 responses with the highest scores were then given a rating of 0 to 10 by participants and the ratings were summed.ResultsThe WI group was older, had less education, and had had HTN for longer. The AI group was the youngest, had the most education, and had HTN for the shortest time. The AA & WI groups rated stress, physical limitations to exercise, and weight maintenance in their top 5 barriers. The AI group rated time for exercise, work, and eating habits in their top 5.ConclusionsThis study suggests groups of African descent may have different lifestyle barriers to managing HTN. Future work should examine the need for tailoring intervention by ethnic group. Funded by NHLBI.