Health Department Holds a Hypertension Workshop in the Community

In an effort to promote awareness about hypertension in the community, the Cambridge Public Health Department’s (CPHD) Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) unit along with CPHD’s Health Equity Specialist hosted a hypertension workshop for Ethiopian older adults at the North Cambridge Senior Center on January 14. Around 25 people attended to learn about hypertension and ways to reduce their sodium intake. The presentation and information was provided both in Amharic and English. The translated materials and two interpreters were provided by the City of Cambridge’s Language Justice Division. Meanwhile, the Health Equity Specialist took blood pressure measurements of several attendees, explained their readings, and what are healthy and unhealthy blood pressure ranges.

The Ethiopian older adults were part of the Ethiopian Hour group who had chair yoga classes provided through a 2024 Health Promotion mini-grant awarded by HEAL to the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee.

The hypertension workshop was part of the Cambridge Health Alliance’s (CHA) signature initiative to reduce health disparities by improving hypertension awareness and control among CHA patients and surrounding communities. The HEAL unit plans to do future workshops with other populations in Cambridge.