Dr. Langford, a behavioral medicine researcher with a background in health communication and medical decision making, is preparing an R01 application focused on hypertension management in Black adults living in the greater Detroit metro area.  “This is a very interesting and somewhat challenging funding opportunity because it requires the integration of population-level data sets, local community engagement, and dissemination and implementation science frameworks all in one proposal,” said Dr. Langford. The proposed project will utilize Computerized Intervention Authoring System (CIAS) to adapt the DASH Diet for Black adults with all stages of hypertension. CIAS is an open source and non-commercial platform that allows lay users to create digital interventions without having to rely on expensive programmers. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an evidence-based, flexible, and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. Numerous studies have shown that the DASH diet lowers blood pressure, improves the lipid panel, helps people lose weight, and reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, the project will integrate data from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Population Health Outcomes Information Exchange (PHOENIX) project, which was created and is maintained by colleagues at WSU.  

Dr. Langford is working with collaborators across WSU from the Departments of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Nutrition and Food Science, and Oncology to develop the application, which is tentatively planned for an October 5, 2024 submission to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She has also presented twice to the Cardiovascular Health Equity Action Council (CHEAC)​ to get their feedback how to best adapt a mHealth DASH Diet intervention for Black adults. This proposal builds upon Dr. Langford’s prior research on primary care clinician and patient preferences for hypertension management in Black adults, which will be presented at the 2024 Hypertension Scientific Sessions and the North American Primary Care Research Group Annual meetings this fall.