Community-based chronic disease management program for African Americans.

Seventy-five predominately African American volunteers were enrolled in a community-based intervention program designed to lower blood pressure and HgbA1C levels in an African American population. Program components consisted of exercise, meal planning, weekly support groups, periodic cooking schools, and service coordination. Significant decreases in initial and 1-year values were seen in both systolic blood pressure (P < .0001) and diastolic blood pressure (P = .000) and HgbA1Cs for those with initial values > 7% (P = .013).