 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Mary J. Boylan, MD1, Colleen M. Renier, BS2, Julie S. Knuths, MSN, RN3, Irina V. Haller, PhD, MS4, and Jeanette A. Palcher, BA2. (1) Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, St.Mary's/Duluth Clinic Health System, 400 East Third Street, Duluth, MN 55805, (2) Division of Education & Research, St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic Health System, 5AV2ME, 400 E 3rd St, Duluth, MN 55805, 218-786-3834, crenier@smdc.org, (3) Community Health, St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic Health System, 400 East 3rd Street, Maildrop SM1E, Duluth, MN 55805, (4) Division of Education & Research, St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic Health System , 5AV2ME, 400 E 3rd St, Duluth, MN 55805
OBJECTIVE: To test a three-tiered approach to community based primary prevention of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. METHODS: Participation was limited to women 20-60 years of age, with no prior history of CVD. Tier one incorporated health screenings in community churches and synagogues, followed by correspondence recommending specific health areas of focus. Tier two consisted of general educational sessions, held in community churches, targeting the health areas in the letters, while the final tier contained a set of focused activities held throughout the community, that study participants selected based upon the health areas and their personal interests. RESULTS: Of the 461 women who enrolled, 371 completed the study (80.3%). At the baseline health screenings, 104 women (28%) had abnormal findings. These women were advised to contact their primary care providers and at the conclusion of the study 44 (42.3%) had resolved one or more abnormal finding. Paired t-test analysis found a significant improvement in test scores (range=0-9) for knowledge of risk factors for CVD from 6.61 at baseline to 6.93 at completion of the study (p<.001). In addition, of the women advised to focus on their stress level (n=290), 17.9% reported a significant decrease. Similarly, 34.7% of the women advised to exercise regularly (n=193) reported having done so, as did 36.7% of those advised to decrease their second-hand smoke exposure (n=60). CONCLUSION: This multi-tiered approach, incorporating both general education and focused activities, improved retention and assisted women in moving from general concepts to concrete lifestyle changes.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.