Program

Physician Assistant M.S.

Year Approved

2015

First Advisor

Hanson, Christina

Abstract

Hypertension is a prevalent health concern in today’s society, especially among individuals of low-income economic status. An increased risk for heart disease has long been correlated to hypertension, and this risk increases further as the population ages. Patient education is crucial for prevention and management of diseases such as hypertension; therefore it is necessary to develop effective education tools. This is particularly true among high-risk groups such as low-income populations. This study compared the efficacy of printed educational materials versus orally presented educational materials in terms of improving patient knowledge regarding hypertension. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the printed or the oral educational material group. Each subject was administered the pretest, then presented with the assigned educational materials, and finally administered the posttest. Test results were analyzed using paired t-tests to compare pretest scores to posttest scores. Both educational material groups showed a statistically significant increase in test scores from pretest to posttest. Mean improvement in test scores was slightly greater with the printed educational materials than the oral materials, however repeated t-tests showed no statistical significance between educational materials. Due to small sample sizes however, further research is warranted. Sub-analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA to compare results between English and Spanish speakers within each educational material group. There was no statistically significant difference in pretest or posttest scores between English or Spanish speakers except for between pretest scores within the oral educational material group where English speakers had significantly higher pretest scores.

Degree Name

Masters of Science in Physician Assistant

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

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