Innovative tool for health promotion for at-risk Thai people with hypertension

Abstract

© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Aim: To examine the innovative nutrition educational tool that improves knowledge, blood pressure level, and urine sodium excretion in at-risk Thai people with hypertension. Subjects and methods: Sixty-seven at-risk hypertensive subjects in semi-urban areas were randomized and divided into control and intervention groups. Anthropometry, blood pressure level, knowledge score, urine sodium excretion, and 24-h recall from the same day as 24-h urine collection were measured in both groups. The control group (n = 35) participated in a general healthcare counseling program. The intervention group (n = 32) participated in a sodium reduction counseling program using an innovative nutrition educational tool (LINE). During 8 weeks of the intervention program, interactive sodium reduction key messages were sent to the intervention group. All measurements were collected and compared after the end of the program. Results: The baseline characteristics were not different between the two groups. The knowledge score increased significantly in both groups (intervention: p = 0.000; control: p = 0.001). The intervention group had a significant decrease of the systolic blood pressure (p = 0.041) and the diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the blood pressure level, knowledge score, and urine sodium excretion between the two groups. Conclusion: Although the knowledge score increased in both groups, the innovative nutritional education tool was more effective than the general healthcare counseling program regarding the blood pressure level reduction. Therefore, the innovative nutrition educational tool should be beneficial as a supportive approach for health promotion.