The Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Stroke Risk in Adults

Abstract

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and there are physical, economic, and emotional consequences for patients and their families. Finding effective ways to reduce risk factors and prevent stroke is essential. The purpose of this one cohort pretest-posttest project was to determine if evidence-based motivational interviewing decreases 10-year stroke risk in patients 55 years and older in the primary care setting. A convenience sample was utilized at a primary care clinic in northwest Missouri. The evidence-based intervention that was implemented is motivational interviewing, a technique of counseling that helps patients identify their own motivations and barriers for behavior change. The primary outcome was the patients’ 10-year stroke risk, and secondary outcomes included body mass index, smoking status, blood pressure, and blood lipid measurements. Mean values for stroke risk, BMI, HDL, LDL, and systolic BP were successfully improved after the intervention, but the differences were not statistically significant. With stroke being the most preventable cause of disability in the United States, finding effective prevention strategies is valuable on both a national and local level.