Culturally tailored support to enhance DASH diet adherence in midlife and older African American women

Objective: This qualitative study examined the cultural food preferences and resources of African American women with self-reported hypertension to guide the development of a culturally tailored Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) manual. Methods: Eleven women from a church congregation in the Southwest United States participated in two focus groups. Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis with independent coding and consensus validation. Results: Six themes and four subthemes emerged: (1) providing perspectives on diet among older African American women; (2) understanding awareness and education needs regarding the DASH diet with subthemes of nutrition-skills and literacy-level adaptation; (3) community disparities in access to healthy foods with subthemes of affordability and nutrition and thrifty nutrition; (4) navigating tradition by addressing challenges of southern cooking heritage; (5) exploring the use of diverse home appliances in meal preparation;and (6) enhancing the DASH manual with tailored insights. Conclusions: Findings emphasize the need for culturally tailored, literacy-sensitive, and resource-conscious materials to promote DASH adherence. A tailored manual may reduce structural and cultural barriers, improve dietary practices, and address hypertension disparities among African American women.