Methods
Cardiovascular diseases cause more deaths among African Americans, as opposed to their white counterparts. Therefore, it is indispensable to develop mechanisms for mitigating the causes of the diseases. To begin with, high blood pressure that causes coronary heart diseases is due to obesity and low-stress reduction techniques among African Americans. A study using the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM), where the mind is made to think until the senses are opened to a new relaxed life, reduces stress levels. In this method, 135 African Americans of age 25 and above with an intervention period of five to eight months can suffice.
In the intervention process, the participants are divided randomly into two groups: the TM program and the coronary heart disease risk factor program. The first technique involves the closing of eyes, as one sits for a period of 20 minutes, in the morning and evening (Richmond, Schneider, Alexander, Cook, Nidich, Haney, Rainforth, Salerno, & Myers, 1999). The TM technique is the main means of stress elimination and personal development of Maharishi Vedic Medicine. Notably, the two groups have to adhere to the same protocol that is, maintaining personal beliefs, meeting durations, and teaching format. After the first week, initial instruction should be delivered, followed by follow-up meetings one week later. Then, the meetings should be after every two weeks for the subsequent two months, and finally monthly meetings for the next three months. Further, in carrying out this study, partners from the health education group, the faith-based organizations, and the African American Communities should be involved as this will not only increase participation within the groups but also increase the contact among the African Americans hence, creating a favorable environment where they can share their problems with other people.
At the TM program, discussions on the benefits and mechanisms of the technique should be carried out, followed by a short interview session. Then private instruction gathering, and lastly, formation of small group sessions. In the last session, participants should discuss the characteristics of the TM technique. For the second group, the coronary heart disease risk factor program, they should receive moral-based teachings and coronary risk factors modification by non-pharmacological methods (Richmond et al., 1999). Personal activities like leisure can be done during the 20 minutes.
In fighting obesity, the expected outcome should be a decrease in the weights of various participants. The intervention should be done in two steps: the first involves well-structured meetings for 10-weeks. The participants are to be divided into small groups thus can use facilities like the local churches. In the meetings, the participants interact with African American Registered Dietitian, chefs, and an exercise consultant. The program consists of an hour of physical work and two hours for cooking demonstrations, eating habits training, and a group social team to help improve the health indicators. The second step involves the same 10-weeks but only one American program member, local church leaders, and peers leaders. This will help in cultural bonding for the African Americans as they will feel free to discuss their problems amongst themselves hence taking into concern the role of culture in their lives (Brady, Jackson, Weerts, Watkins, & Christie, 2010).
Conclusively, there should be a decrease in blood pressures within the variable groups. This is not only due to weight reduction but also due to the TM technique. The decrease in weight reduces insulin level while the TM technique helps in stress reduction. Nonetheless, a blood pressure reduction in the control groups is not due to the technique. Consequently, the reduction in both stress and weight will reduce the chances at which African Americans contract coronary heart diseases.
References
Brady, C., Jackson, H. D., Weerts, S., Watkins, J., & Christie, C. (2010). Community Church-Based Intervention Reduces Obesity Indicators in African American Females. The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness, 9(2).
Richmond, A., Schneider, R., Alexander, C., Cook, R., Nidich, S., Haney, C., Rainforth, M., Salerno, J., & Myers, H. (1999). Effects of Stress Reduction on Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive African Americans. Stroke,1. Web.