Baseline Characteristics and Physical Activity Patterns of Participants Enrolled in the Team Lifestyle Immersion Program (TLIP) Study

Hypertension remains a global cause of chronic illnesses, morbidity, and mortality. According to the CDC data (2024), about 120 million Americans have hypertension, and about a billion people globally, when defined by a systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mm Hg and at least a diastolic pressure of 80 mm Hg. Even more provocative are the suggestions that most people may develop hypertension if they live long enough. The unsatisfactory rates of hypertension control with only drug therapies emphasize the potential benefits of including lifestyle modifications for better control. Lifestyle intervention has been proposed to complement drug management of hypertension for decades. Regarding physical activity behavior, motivational messages could be tailored to focus on instrumental exercise goals for younger adults and meaningful relationships for older adults. This study aims to evaluate the baseline characteristics and physical activity patterns of participants enrolled in the team lifestyle immersion program (TLIP) study. To address these questions, this study leverages an existing TLIP P-50 project (5P50MD01347–04) at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. The funding authority is NIH. Project number: 5P50MD01347-04. This study examines the baseline characteristics and physical activity patterns of participants enrolled in the team Lifestyle immersion program (TLIP) and followed at 6 and 12 months. To evaluate and analyze differences at baseline and in the prospective rate of change of physical activity patterns and progression of hypertension, and follow-up at 6 and 12 months. This study highlights distinct sex- and age-specific patterns in exercise behaviors among individuals enrolled in a hypertension research protocol. Despite high physical access to fitness resources (66.7% overall living close to a gym), physical activity engagement varied markedly by demographic subgroup. Interventions aiming to improve cardiovascular risk profiles in hypertensive populations should focus on targeted strategies for middle-aged women, prioritizing habit formation to reduce total inactivity rather than exclusively emphasizing high exercise intensity.