Barbers helped raise health awareness, a new study shows
A new study reports that when barbers checked their male clients’ blood pressure on every visit, men were far more likely to see a doctor and get their high blood pressure under control. A financial incentive was also important, as those who returned with a prescription got a free haircut, the New York Times reports. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and conducted at 17 black-owned barber shops in Texas over two years, ending in 2008. Eight shops handed out pamphlets to customers with high blood pressure at the start of the study, while nine offered blood pressure tests and urged patients at risk to see a doctor.