Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure: Mission Possible
Assessment Report

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In the summer of 2005, the State Chronic Disease Directors Cardiovascular Health (CVH) Council and 22 states signed on to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)\ National High Blood Pressure Education Program's "Mission Possible: Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure" Campaign to promote improved high blood pressure prevention and control among high-risk audiences. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) are supporting partners in this effort.

The 22 participating states implemented projects to disseminate the "Mission Possible" materials to their community-based partners for use in new partnership development activities and to support ongoing outreach and education activities in a variety of community and clinical settings. They also monitored these activities and provided feedback on the usefulness of the materials in increasing action among organizations and the community and in supporting ongoing heart disease prevention and control programs and activities.

Representatives of each of the 22 states also participated in focus groups to obtain broader feedback on the project. Two focus groups, with eleven participants randomly selected to each, were held in June 2006. They explored how the states used the "Mission Possible" materials and whether the materials added value to their efforts to bring on new partners or reinvigorate existing partnerships or supported ongoing activities.

The project was conducted under the auspices of the Healthy People 2010 Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Partnership, which includes the NHLBI, CDC, AHA, Indian health Service, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The CVH Council, funded by the CDC, is a national organization that links the chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. Territory and supports state efforts to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease on the American public. A major focus is developing partnerships for health promotion.

The participating states are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The following are results of the implementation and assessment of projects.

Agency/organizations participating

• About 78 % (59 of 75) of the organizations participating in the project were State or local health departments.

"Mission Possible" Materials Used

• The Call to Action paper was used by 26% of the respondents.
• The most frequently used fact sheets were as follows:
  • DASH to the Diet Fact Sheet (78%)
  • Easy Ways to Lower Your Risk Through Physical Activity Fact Sheet (66%)
  • What Every Mid-Life and Older American Should Know Fact Sheet (57%)
  • What Every African American Should Know Fact Sheet (54%)
  • What Every Young Adult Should Know (50%)
  • What You (the Patient) Should Know (42%)
  • What Every Physician Should Know (37%)
• Use of the partner sheets was reported by less than 15% of the organizations.
  • The most used partner sheets were
    • Real Possibilities for America's s business community (15%)
    • Real Possibilities for America's grocery chains (11%)
    • Real Possibilities for America's teachers and educators (11%)
  • Least used partner sheets were
    • Real Possibilities for America's Insurance and Managed Care Companies (7%).
    • Real Possibilities for America's health care providers (10%)

How Materials Were Used (Multiple reporting by organizations)

• Of those (49) who said they used the materials for "Outreach to existing partners for use in existing or new education programs," 96% used Facts Sheets; 27 % used partner sheets; 12% used the "Call to Action" paper, and 8 % used the website.
• Of those (34) who said they used the materials for "Outreach to potential new partners for use in existing or new education programs, 88% used Fact Sheets; 26% used Partner sheets; 18% used the Website, and 15% used the "Call to Action" paper.
• Of those (14) who used the materials for "Outreach to public officials for policy/environmental/system change," 92% used Facts sheets; 21% used Partner sheets, and 7% used the Website.
• Of those (26) who used the materials to "Develop new HBP educational activities," 100% used Fact sheets; 16% used Partner sheets, and 12% used the website.
• Of those (51) who used the materials to "Support your existing HBP educational activities," 100% used Fact sheets; 16% used Partner sheets; 10% used the Website, and 8% used the "Call to Action" paper.
• Of those (9) who used the materials to "Develop new HBP-related policy/environmental/system change activities," 78% used the fact sheets, 56% used the partner sheets, and 22% used the Web site.
• Of those (21) who used the materials to "support existing HBP-related policy/environmental/system change activities," 95%used Fact sheets; 29% used Partner sheets; 10 % used both the Website and the "Call to Action" paper.

New Partnerships Established as a Result of the Materials

• Of those reporting (73), 31% said "yes" and 69% said "no."

Involved Existing Partners in New Activities as a Result of the Materials?

• Of those reporting (75), 47% said "yes" and 53% said "no."

Types of organizations involved

• The types of organizations most frequently involved were 1) local and state health department, 2) Worksites and for profit organizations (health insurer, grocer, local business), and 3) Schools.
• The most frequently reported activities were community events (e.g. health fairs), programs to prevent or control high blood pressure, and marketing and co-branding of the materials.

Opinions of the "Call to Action" Paper

• Fifty-seven (57) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the paper was easy to read.
• Sixty-three (63) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the paper provided useful information
• Forty-three (43) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the paper was useful for recruiting new partners.
• Forty-one (41) percent stated that the paper was useful for reactivating existing partnerships.
• Forty-six (46) percent said the paper was useful in providing ideas for partnership activities.

Opinion of Partner Sheets

• Fifty-three (53) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the Partner Sheets were easy to read.
• Forty (40) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the sheets were useful for recruiting new partners.
• Thirty-five (35) percent stated that the partner sheets were useful for reactivating existing partnerships. (59% said that they did not use the sheets for this purpose).
• Forty-five (45) percent said the partner sheets were useful in providing ideas for partnership activities.
• Fifty-three (53) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the Partner sheets were appropriate for the targeted audience.

Opinion of the Fact Sheets

• Eighty-eight (88) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the fact sheets were easy to read.
• Ninety-four (94) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the fact sheets provided useful information.
• Eighty-seven (87) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the fact Sheets were appropriate for the targeted audience.
• Seventy-eight (78) percent stated that the fact sheets were useful to existing partners.
• Seventy-four (74) percent said the fact sheets were useful to potential new partners.

Opinion of the "Mission Possible" Website

• Forty-one (41) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the MP website was easy to read.
• Forty-six (46) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the MP Website provided useful information.
• Forty-six (46) percent strongly agreed or agreed that the MP Website was appropriate for the targeted audience.
• Forty-three (43) percent stated that the MP Website was useful to existing partners. (
• Thirty-nine (39) percent said the MP Website was useful to potential new partners.

The survey included 3 open-ended questions:

1. Additional comments about the materials included:
   • Too similar in patterns and information - hard to store and hard to differentiate
   • African American fact sheet works well with Make Health A Family Reunion materials
   • Call to Action paper not effective in recruiting new partners to a state or local cause
   • DASH fact sheet very nice but should cover more than sodium, include more cultural foods, offer practical information about how to start and follow the diet
2. Comments about materials that contributed to a successful program, policy, or system change
   • Fact sheets for African Americans and older Americans were colorful, informative and good quality paper and made faith-based and elderly outreach programs successful
   • Materials very helpful in SHAPE IT (Stroke Hypertension and Prostate Education Intervention Team) Program
   • Used fact sheets as handouts and display pieces in public health nurses clinics
   • Materials useful among many different populations
3. Requests for Additional Materials
• For elementary, middle, and high school students
• For parents
• For Employee Wellness Programs
• For women
• For minorities
• Posters

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