Do you have a family history of high blood pressure, stroke, or myocardial infarction? Do you consume under 1,500 mg of sodium per day through dietary sources?

Assignment Question

Blood Pressure and Sodium Intake

Information on Methods and Results/Data Analysis There were 100 participants, 50 males and 50 females, who were selected to participate in this research project. They were recruited from doctors’ offices in southeastern Pennsylvania between October 2021 and October 2022. The study design was a cross-sectional study. This is a type of research design in which the researchers collect data from many different individuals at a single point in time. In cross-sectional research, experimenters observe variables without influencing them. In order to participate in this one-time experiment, participants had to be between the ages of 17 to 54 years, without a history of hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), dyslipidemia, myocardial infarction, asthma, pulmonary embolism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or pulmonary hypertension. A COVID-19 diagnosis within 3 months of the study excluded participants from participation. If participants met the study criteria and they agreed to participate, data was collected from them. This is considered a convenience sample. Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling method where units are selected for inclusion in the sample because they are the easiest for the researcher to access. This can be due to geographical proximity, availability at a given time, or willingness to participate in the research. During normal office visits participants were given a brief survey at the beginning of the appointment that assessed several risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Part of the survey asked participants to respond to several yes or no questions:

Do you have a family history of high blood pressure, stroke, or myocardial infarction?

Do you consume under 1,500 mg of sodium per day through dietary sources?

Do you exercise at least 3 times per week for 30 minutes or more?

Do you drink alcohol regularly?

Regular drinking is defined as, is two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. A single drink is five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor. Weight was taken using a standardized physical beam scale and height was measured using a standardized wall mount measuring rod. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated based off of height and weight. The National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s BMI calculator was used. Blood pressure was measured using a standard sphygmomanometer following the guidelines of the American Heart Association. Measurements were taken after a rest period of 10 minutes in a seated position. Age was self-reported by the participants. Participants were asked their birthdate (month, day, and year) and experimenters calculated the number of years.