The effect of parent-teacher association-based mass nutrition education in reducing blood pressure of adults in Bahir Dar Zuria District, Ethiopia: a randomized controlled trial

Nutrition education intervention plays a significant role in reducing blood pressure of adults. However, nutrition education intervention implementation was very low in Ethiopia. To assess the effect of parent-teacher association-based mass nutrition education in reducing blood pressure of adults in Bahir Dar Zuria District, Ethiopia in 2024. A community-based cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted from August 01 2023 to June 30, 2024. A total of 204 adults in the intervention and control groups were recruited. The unit of cluster for this study was kebele, which is the least administrative unit in Ethiopia. Two kebeles were selected and randomized into intervention and control group. Trained parent-teacher association members provided mass nutrition education for the community for 30–60 min using the existing social structures. The community in the control group have received mass nutrition education through the health system. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Paired and independent sample T-tests and McNemar’s test were used to assess the intervention effect. Binary logistic regression was also used to assess the intervention effect after controlling con-founders. There were statistically significant differences in the overall mean (± SD) systolic blood pressure, -9.1(± 2.5), P < 0.001 mm of mercury and diastolic blood pressure -4.0 (± 1.4) P < 0.001 mm of mercury after implementation of the intervention. Overall difference in the prevalence of hypertension was 24.8%, p < 0.001. After controlling the potential con-founders, the prevalence of hypertension decreased by 34%. Parent-teacher association-based mass nutrition education was a low-cost and suitable intervention to reduce blood pressure and HTN of adults. This finding recommended parent-teacher association members-based nutrition education to reduce blood pressure and hypertension in the community. The trial was registered in Clinical Trials.gov with NCT number of NCT06639412 and unique protocol ID 17595/24.