Table 2.

Theme 1: Perceived Causes of Hypertension (N = 29).

Subtheme	Factors	Raw data quotes
1a: African American  dietary traditions	Diet (n = 26)	Pork, that is what it is about Black people, even though it is white meat there  is something about the way it is cured; it has a lot of salt.
		Growing up Black … pork was the least expensive food but parents  stretching the dollar and realized the pork was killing their family.
	Food preparation (n = 6)	It was how we were brought up and how we eat, the fried food.
1b: Life	Stress (n = 22)	Stress, I get angry.
		When I get upset, stressed.
		Kids will run your pressure up, I mean for real.
		Getting overworked.
	Unhealthy actions (n = 16)	Using cocaine.
		A lot of bad habits bring it on like smoking or drinking.
		Lack of exercise.
	Running out of medications  (n = 3)	When you run out, that is when it really gets high.
1c: Health issues	Genetics (n = 18)	It’s just in our DNA.
		It’s a genetic thing.
		It runs through the generations.
		I guess it’s in your genes.
		It can be hereditary.
	Obesity (n = 5)	Weight, at that time (of diagnosis) I was overweight.
		You are going to get overweight and it is going to mess with your heart, your  blood pressure.
		Weight, and the fact that your heart has to beat harder.
	Physical causes (n = 3)	I heard that it had something to do with the kidney or something the kidney  was doing.
		In my case a blockage in your heart, your heart had to pump harder.
1d: Gaps in  knowledge	Lack of knowledge (n = 2)	I didn’t know what caused high blood pressure. If I had known, I would have  been taking it seriously.