Acculturation, Medication Adherence, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Blood Pressure Control Among Arab Americans

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between acculturation, medication adherence, lifestyle behaviors (e.g., physical activity, nutrition, weight control), and blood pressure control among hypertensive Arab Americans. DESIGN: The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive design. A convenience sample of 126 participants completed questionnaires and had measures of blood pressure, weight, and height. Forty-six participants were hypertensive and were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Only 29.2% of participants reported high medication adherence. High medication adherence was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure, eating a healthy diet, and following lifestyle modifications. Acculturation was significantly associated with physical activity and body mass index. CONCLUSION: Our study found that acculturated participants were more adherent to medications and physical activity and had better blood pressure control. Further studies are needed to explore how acculturation improves adherence and what factors contribute to better adherence in order to design culturally sensitive interventions.