Characteristics of Adults Participating in Community Blood Pressure Screening Events: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Community health events can be useful venues in hypertension control interventions, especially in low-income populations. This project performed blood pressure (BP) screenings at community health fairs in Nashville, Tennessee.

METHODS

The project collected demographic characteristics and BP measures data from May 2025-September 2025.

RESULTS

Of 272 participants screened, 126 (46.3%) occurred at public housing communities. Participants were often 65 years or older (43.4%) and female (51.8%). Men were more likely to be screened at health workshops (OR: 3.59, 95% CI: 1.92-6.71) and female attendees at churches (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.15-3.90). Overall, 73 (26.8%) participants met the criteria for possible hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights into who attends community BP screenings. We found that people already diagnosed with hypertension, or those who deem themselves as high risk, attend BP screening events. Future research should tailor interventions based on demographic patterns to better engage underserved populations.