Carol Bryant Payne, RN, MSN¹, LeeRoy Bronner, PhD², Lenee N. Simon, MPH³, Michael B. Ahmadi, MPH, CHES³, Samuel Little, PhD¹, Robinson Fulwood, PhD, MSPH³, Reyma Woolford, MSW¹, Juanita Greene¹, Dennis McCrae², Shaquana Divers, MHA⁴, Odessma Dalrymple, BS², and Yvonne L. Bronner, ScD, RD⁴. (1) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 10 S. Howard Street, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, 410-962-2520 ext.3062, Carol_B._Payne@Hud.Gov, (2) School of Engineering, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Schaefer Engineering, Baltimore, MD 21201, (3) Office of Prevention, Education, and Control, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2480, Room 4A-10, Bethesda, MD 20892, (4) Department of Public Health, Morgan State University, 343 Jenkins Hall, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251

Healthy Hearts in Housing is a community-based participatory research project funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute as an Enhanced Dissemination and Utilization Center (EDUC). Before designing and implementing this project, qualitative research was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the target population. The results were used to shape and mold several aspects of the project. The results indicated that diet and physical activity behaviors are not consistent across age and gender and that walking was the preferred means of exercise. This information was used to develop interventions that are based on resident selection of activities based on their age and preference. Walking will be offered as one of the choices at each intervention site within the Housing Authority. Another finding indicated that heart health education products need to be “straight” and “to-the-point.” Based on this finding, we have been through several iterations of materials in an effort to produce products that were direct in the messages and format. A majority of participants preferred photos of people versus art, artist illustrations or cartoons. We use photos of participants on our website and in materials to the extent possible. As we continue to develop materials we will be cognizant of the participants desire to have intergenerational representations as well as daily reminders that could be placed on refrigerators, walls, mirrors and other locations in their homes. Themes that motivated participants included practices that protected family and children and those that mentioned their belief in God.

Learning Objectives: