Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
High blood pressure is a worldwide public health problem with increasing prevalence in developing countries. Although data is limited, evidence suggests a trend towards increasing high blood pressure prevalence in both rural and urban populations in Ghana. Dietary modification based on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet pattern has been shown to reduce high blood pressure in the United States and other countries. The effect of dietary modification based on the DASH diet pattern and emphasizing locally available foods has not yet been tested in Ghana. The aim of this study therefore is to find out whether a nutrition education intervention based on the DASH diet pattern is more effective at lowering blood pressure than standard care.
Who can participate?
Patients aged 25 and over, newly diagnosed with high blood pressure
What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated to receive either standard care, or standard care plus nutrition education based on the DASH dietary pattern, emphasizing Ghanaian foods. At the start of the study, background information is collected through face-to face interviews and a dietary assessment is carried out using questionnaires. Weight, height, waist and hip measurements are also taken. Blood pressure is monitored bi-weekly for the first 6 weeks and then every 3 weeks for the next 6 weeks (total of five visits). Dietary assessments and measurements are repeated during the 12th week of the study. Changes in blood pressures and dietary intakes are compared between the two groups.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants benefit from knowing their blood pressure status and receiving treatment (standard care). They also help the researchers to learn more about managing high blood pressure more effectively to benefit society at large. Participation in this study carries minimal or no risk. Treatment for high blood pressure may result in some minor discomforts associated with blood pressure medications.
Where is the study run from?
Asesewa Government Hospital (Ghana)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
March 2015 to February 2016
Who is funding the study?
Office for Research Innovation and Development, University of Ghana
Who is the main contact?
Dr Esi Colecraft
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Esi Colecraft
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6221-3739
Contact details
Nutrition and Food Science Department
University of Ghana
Accra
LG134
Ghana
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
URF/6/ILG-007/2012-2013
Study information
Scientific title
Can a nutrition education intervention based on the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet pattern in addition to the standard of care have a greater blood pressure lowering effect than the standard of care alone among adults diagnosed with hypertension in Asesewa, Ghana?
Acronym
Ghana DASH study
Study hypothesis
Adults diagnosed with hypertension who receive nutrition education based on the DASH diet principles in addition to the standard of care provided at Asesewa Government Hospital will have greater decreases in diastolic and systolic blood pressure compared to those who received the standard of care alone.
Ethics approval
Institutional review board at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research at the University of Ghana, 07/05/2014, protocol # 092/13-14
Study design
Single-center single-blind (only study participants blinded) randomized control trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Hospitals
Trial type
Treatment
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Condition
Hypertension
Intervention
A total of 100 adults newly diagnosed with high blood pressure (defined as Systolic Blood Pressure [SBP] >140 and Diastolic Blood Pressure [DBP] >90 mmHG) at the Asesewa Government Hospital will be randomized to receive either the standard of care alone (control group) or the standard of care plus nutrition education based on the DASH dietary pattern and emphasizing meal planning based on Ghanaian foods (intervention group) . At the time of enrolment into the study (baseline), background sociodemographic information will be collected through face-to face interviews using a structured questionnaire, and dietary assessment completed using a 7-day food frequency questionnaire and the 24-hour dietary recall method. Additionally anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist and hip circumferences) will be taken. Blood pressure will be monitored bi-weekly for the first 6 weeks and then every 3 weeks for the next 6 weeks (total of 5 visits). Total duration of the intervention will be 12 weeks (3 months). Dietary assessments and anthropometric measurements will be repeated during the 12th week of the study.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Mean change in blood pressure from enrolment to the end of the study will be compared between the control and intervention groups controlling for background socio-demographic, and anthropometric characteristics and baseline values.
Secondary outcome measures
Data were collected at 5 time points corresponding to : baseline (time or enrolment into the study); visit 1 (2 weeks post enrolment); visit 2 (4 weeks post enrolment); visit 3 (6 weeks post enrolment); visit 4 (9 weeks post enrolment): and visit 5 (12 weeks post enrolment)
1. Blood pressure taken with a digital blood pressure monitor at enrolment and each visit subsequently
2. Sociodemographic characteristics: semi-structured, pre-coded questionnaire administered at baseline (enrolment)
3. Dietary assessment: using 24-hour dietary recall method and 7-day food frequency questionnaire. Data collected at baseline and 12 weeks post enrolment
4. Anthropometric measurements: height (taken at baseline) and weight and visceral fat % (taken at baseline and every visit) measured with a digital weighing scale.
Overall trial start date
23/03/2015
Overall trial end date
05/02/2016
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Adults ≥ 25 years
2. Newly diagnosed, or previously diagnosed but not currently on treatment, as having high blood pressure (HBP) (defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) reading of greater than 140 mmHg and or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mgHg) through the hospital-based screening at the Asesewa Government Hospital during a 4-month participant recruitment period
3. Willing to participate and provide informed consent
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
100 (50 intervention and 50 control)
Participant exclusion criteria
1. Persons with heart disease, diabetes mellitus, or diabetes requiring insulin
2. Persons with special dietary requirements
3. Persons unwilling to make dietary modifications
Recruitment start date
09/03/2015
Recruitment end date
05/02/2016
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Ghana
Trial participating centre
Asesewa Government Hospital
Asesewa
-
Ghana
Sponsor information
Organisation
University of Ghana
Sponsor details
Office of Research Innovation and Development
Accra
LG 571
Ghana
+233 (0)302 944 974
orid@ug.edu.org
Sponsor type
University/education
Website
Funders
Funder type
University/education
Funder name
Office for Research Innovation and Development, University of Ghana
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Currently, the plans are to publish two papers in two peer-reviewed journals (not identified yet):
1. Socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics of adults diagnosed with hypertension in Asesewa, Ghana (based primarily on baseline data)
2. Effect of a DASH based nutrition education intervention on blood pressure among adults in Asesewa, Ghana (based on the longitudinal data)
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Available on request
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list