Extended Families and the Control of Hypertension in Central Mississippi

In order to evaluate the beneficial support functions of multigenerational extended families, a research and demonstration effort was developed to focus on the management of a chronic disease, hypertension. Conducted in central Mississippi, high blood pressure management self-help groups were established in 4 white and 9 black extended families. An influential member of each family was trained to monitor the blood pressures of all family hypertensives and a self-help group of related hypertensives formed. An 18-month formative evaluation showed that 90% of hypertensives participating in the family-based self-help groups achieved a controlled blood pressure.