Veterans service organization engagement in ‘POWER,’ a peer-led hypertension intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of program factors on participant engagement in POWER, a peer-led intervention designed to reduce hypertension, increase hypertension knowledge, and improve other relevant health behaviors, such as diet and exercise, among US veterans involved in veterans service organizations throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. Two hundred and nineteen hypertensive members from 58 VSOs participated in a year-long peer-led intervention designed to improve hypertension knowledge, disease self-management behaviors, and health outcomes. This study represents a qualitative evaluation of post and participant engagement in this intervention. We triangulated data collected via three qualitative approaches (observations, focus groups, and in-depth interviews) from intervention posts to derive a model of engagement. Our findings indicate that discrete characteristics of the peer leaders, post members, posts, and the intervention itself contributed to intervention engagement. We make suggestions for future research studies, particularly as related to understanding how peer leader identities and cultural norms within VSOs might contribute to peer-led health intervention success.