The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Blood Pressure
| Howard University Investigators: | Dr. Teletia Taylor, Department of Medicine & Psychology Dr. Carla Williams, Department of Medicine Dr. Veronica A. Clarke-Tasker, Division of Nursing |
| Georgetown University Investigators: | Dr. Stephen P. Wright, Department of Medicine Dr. Kathryn Sandberg, Department of Medicine |
| MedStar Health Research Institute Investigators: | Dr. Jason G. Umans, Biomarker, Biochemistry & Biorepository Core |
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Sponsor: This study is being funded by the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science. |
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1. Background and Purpose
You are being asked to consider participating in this study because you are of Black African descent (African American, Black African immigrant, or of Caribbean Black ancestry) living in the Washington, DC area, and 18 years of age or older.
The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between physical activity and blood pressure in Black men and women in the Washington, DC area. We are particularly interested in this population because they are at greater risk for high blood pressure, which can damage their hearts, kidneys, and brains.
2. Procedure
The study will involve two appointments six months apart with a member of our research team. These appointments do not need to be at Georgetown or Howard Universities but can occur at a convenient community location. At the initial visit, you will be asked to fill out a few short surveys (total of 20-30 minutes). We will also measure your blood pressure, height, and body weight. If you become a study participant, we will teach you how to use the blood pressure cuff and the scale so that you can measure blood pressure, weight, heart rate, and artery health at home. You will also be shown how to use the activity tracker watch. This first appointment when you join the study will take about 60 to 90 minutes. There will be one more appointment at the end of the study (six months later) that will take 30 minutes or less that will involve a repeat of the blood pressure and body weight measurements and about 10 minutes of surveys.
3. Benefits to Participating in the Study
We hope the information gathered from this research study may be beneficial to people. Upon completion of the study, we will be happy to provide you with the published results.
4. Discomforts/Potential Harms
There are no known risks associated with participating in this study.
5. Compensation
We are not able to offer any payment for your participation in this study. We hope that you will be willing to contribute some of your time for the advancement of science. We hope that what we discover will help people in the future.
6. Rights of Participants
Your participation in this study is voluntary. You can decide not to be in this study, or you can decide to be in the study now and then change your mind later. You may refuse to answer any question you do not want to answer, or not answer an interview question by saying “pass.” You may leave the study at any time without affecting your medical care. If you leave, any information gathered for the purpose of this study will be destroyed and there will be no adverse outcomes.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to speak to a member of the research team for any reason, please contact the study coordinator, Dr. Stephen Wright, at ActivityResearch@georgetown.edu or at 202-687-9846. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant or any ethical issues related to this study that you wish to discuss with someone not directly involved with the study, you may contact the Georgetown-Howard Universities Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 202-687-2618. The IRB is a group of people who oversee the ethical conduct of research studies. These people are not part of the study team. Everything that you discuss will be kept confidential.