| Course | HCR 230 Culture and Health |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Campaign section: population and problem |
| Length | About 337 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BS in Health Care Coordination |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCR 230 Module 1
Cut and Check, Section 1: High Blood Pressure Among Black Men as a Health Equity Problem
Student Name
BS in Health Care Coordination, Arizona State University
HCR 230: Culture and Health
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Cut and Check, Section 1: High Blood Pressure Among Black Men as a Health Equity Problem
Population and Health Issue
Population: Black men aged 30 to 65 in metro Phoenix.
Health issue: high blood pressure that is undiagnosed or not controlled.
High blood pressure is common in the United States, but it is not evenly distributed. In 2017-2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension among adults was 45.4 percent overall, 57.1 percent among non-Hispanic Black adults and 43.6 percent among non-Hispanic white adults, and it was higher among men than women, 51.0 percent compared with 39.7 percent (Ostchega et al., 2020). Uncontrolled blood pressure leads to stroke, heart failure and kidney disease, conditions that also fall more heavily on Black Americans.
Why This Is a Health Equity Issue
A difference in health becomes an equity issue when it is avoidable and unjust. The gap in blood pressure among Black men is not explained by biology alone. It follows patterns of income, neighborhood, stress, access to care and historical experience with the health system (Marmot, 2005). Many Black men have fewer routine contacts with primary care, and some carry justified mistrust rooted in a history of discrimination in medicine. A campaign that simply tells men to see a doctor ignores those conditions.
Cultural Strengths to Build On
Culture is not only a source of barriers. Black barbershops have long served as trusted community spaces where men talk openly and return regularly, and barbers are respected messengers. A large trial showed that barbershops can do more than raise awareness: when barbers encouraged patrons to meet with pharmacists in the shop, blood pressure fell sharply (Victor et al., 2018). Faith communities, fraternities and family networks are other strengths.
Campaign Focus
Cut and Check will work with Black-owned barbershops in metro Phoenix to encourage men to check their blood pressure, understand their numbers and connect with care that fits their lives. The next sections will gather the evidence and cultural considerations behind the campaign and draft materials for barbers, patrons and families.
References
Marmot, M. (2005). Social determinants of health inequalities. The Lancet, 365(9464), 1099-1104. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)71146-6
Ostchega, Y., Fryar, C. D., Nwankwo, T., & Nguyen, D. T. (2020). Hypertension prevalence among adults aged 18 and over: United States, 2017-2018 (NCHS Data Brief No. 364). National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db364.htm
Victor, R. G., Lynch, K., Li, N., Blyler, C., Muhammad, E., Handler, J., Brettler, J., Rashid, M., Hsu, B., Foxx-Drew, D., Moy, N., Reid, A. E., & Elashoff, R. M. (2018). A cluster-randomized trial of blood-pressure reduction in Black barbershops. New England Journal of Medicine, 378(14), 1291-1301. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1717250
Reading the HCR 230 Module 1 assignment instructions
HCR 230 builds its largest project in stages. Three Health Equity Campaign submissions are worth 20 points each, and the final campaign, submitted as Section 4 in finals week, is worth 40, together 100 of the course's 239 points. The syllabus says students design a health equity communication campaign for a specific population or community using scholarly sources, public health data and course materials, and campaigns may focus on populations inside or outside the United States. Section prompts are in Canvas; a first section usually names the population and problem and justifies it with data. Choose a population and issue narrow enough to design real materials for.
Inside the HCR 230 Module 1 example
Opening with a precise population and health issue, the sample reports national prevalence data broken down by race and sex from a federal data brief. It then explains why the gap is an equity issue rather than only a difference, citing evidence on social determinants, and turns to cultural strengths, including the barbershop setting supported by a major trial. A final paragraph names the campaign's focus and previews the next sections. The structure gives the instructor what a first submission needs: who, what, why it is unjust and where the campaign will work. Naming the campaign now also gives every later section a consistent identity, which makes the final portfolio read as one project rather than four assignments.
Reading the HCR 230 Module 1 grading rubric
Every campaign submission earns up to 20 points under its Canvas rubric. First sections are typically credited for a clearly defined population and issue, current data from credible sources, a convincing explanation of why the issue is inequitable, attention to culture as both barrier and strength, a feasible focus for the campaign and APA formatting. Sections lose credit when the population is too broad, when data are missing or outdated, when the community is described only in terms of deficits and when the focus is not specific enough to design materials for. Using people-first, respectful language throughout is also part of what graders look for in a culture and health course.
HCR 230 Module 1 help: mistakes that cost marks
Pick a population you can learn about from both data and community voices. Use federal data sources such as NCHS data briefs or state health department reports for numbers. Say in your own words why your gap is unjust and not merely a gap. Name at least one cultural strength. Keep the focus narrow; one setting and one behavior is enough. The desk can help you find population data if your chosen group is less studied. Remember that later sections will need evidence about interventions for your population, so check early that such studies exist. A population with no research on what works will make Section 2 difficult.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More HCR 230 and BS in Health Care Coordination sample papers
- HCR 230 Module 2: Health Equity Campaign, Section 2: Evidence and Cultural Considerations
- HCR 230 Module 3: Health Equity Campaign, Section 3: Audience-Specific Materials
- HCR 230 Module 4: Final Health Equity Campaign (Section 4)
- HCR 420 Module 1: Leadership vs. Management Paper
- HCR 426 Module 3: Capstone Final Project Paper: A Real-World Coordination Solution
- HCR 400 Module 4: Critical Appraisal: Qualitative Study
- HCR 302 Module 1: Transformation Paper: Critiquing the HHS Disparities Action Plan
HCR 230 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HCR 230 Module 1 sample paper?
This page has a full HCR 230 Module 1 sample: the first section of a health equity campaign on high blood pressure among Black men.
What is the HCR 230 health equity campaign?
A scaffolded project in which students design a health equity communication campaign for a specific population, submitted in three sections and a final campaign.
How much is the HCR 230 campaign worth?
Three submissions at 20 points each and a final campaign at 40, 100 of the course's 239 points.
How common is high blood pressure among Black adults?
In 2017-2018, age-adjusted prevalence was 57.1 percent among non-Hispanic Black adults, compared with 43.6 percent among non-Hispanic white adults.
What is the difference between a health disparity and a health inequity?
Any gap in health counts as a disparity; it becomes an inequity when the gap is avoidable and unfair.