Analysis of Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose, and Cholesterol Screening Results Collected During Street Outreach Events in Atlantic County, New Jersey, as Part of a Mobile Community Health Worker Program to Identify Residents at High Risk for Severe COVID-19

Background: This study seeks to evaluate the status of random blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose screening results in Atlantic County, NJ. This study also aims to identify the rates of hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension within the target population, and potential differences between surveyed age demographics. Methods: Medical students participating in the COVID-19 CHW Service Corps collected blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose screenings at multiple screening events in Atlantic County, NJ during a two-year period. This data was analyzed retrospectively using ANOVA, non-parametric Kruskal Walis Test, and Tukey's pairwise comparisons. Results: Senior adults had significantly higher SBP than both Adults and Middle-Aged adults. Mean SBP values were 131 mmHg (Adults), 136.8 mmHg (Middle-Aged), and 141.5 mmHg (Seniors). Similarly, BGR differed significantly by age (p <.0001). Seniors had significantly higher BGR than other groups, with back-transformed means of 110.2 mg/dL (Adults), 136.9 mg/dL (Middle-Aged), and 141.6 mg/dL (Seniors). Among 821 BGR samples, 0.2% were hypoglycemic, 85.0% normal, and 14.8% hyperglycemic. Among 931 blood pressure screenings, 74.3% of surveyed individuals were hypertensive. Lipid profiles showed varying risk levels, with high cholesterol in 25.3%, high triglycerides in 39.5%, high LDL in 47.3%, and low HDL in 49.5% of cases. Conclusion: Significant age-related differences were observed in systolic blood pressure and blood glucose levels, with Senior adults consistently exhibiting higher values than younger groups. The distribution of hypertension stages and glucose abnormalities highlights the prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in the population.