BACKGROUND: Even though the effectiveness of mediation and relaxation skills is controversial in blood pressure control, extensive field studies are limited. A national study targeting 50 communities randomly selected from northern Taiwan was conducted to test and compare the effectiveness of hypertension control incorporating three strategies. METHODS: Five hundred ninety hypertensives identified from 3,128 adults at a screening survey among the 50 communities were invited to participate in the study and were randomly assigned to three treatment modalities, (a) relaxation techniques training at home, (b) routine blood pressure measurement by a health professional, and (c) reading self-learning packages, or to a control group. RESULTS: After a 2-month intervention period, the three treatment groups showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure levels compared with the control group (11.0 mmHg for group 1, 9.2 mmHg for group 2, and 5.1 mmHg for group 3). The relaxation group had the most significant reduction in systolic blood pressure levels, followed by the routine blood pressure monitoring group and the self-learning group. However, the effect of relaxation training at home was not significantly greater than routine blood pressure measurement by a health professional.
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