A family history intervention: enhancing cardiovascular risk assessment.

This article describes the effect of individualized counseling using family history data and objective cardiovascular risk factors on intent to change and actual exercise behavior in a diverse sample of working adults. Using a longitudinal, quasi-experimental, crossover design, objective data (blood lipids, glucose, blood pressure, and body mass index) and subjective data (awareness of heart disease risk, depression, spirituality, and knowledge of family history) were collected from 91 (mostly female and with a mean age of 45 years) primary and secondary teachers in a southwestern city. The Transtheoretical Model of Change guided the study and measured intent to exercise. Objective risks in this sample mirrored national indices of risk for obesity and abnormal lipids. Although some participants increased their exercise, no significant differences were found between the groups in exercise behavior at 6 and 12 months. Using knowledge of family history to raise awareness and encourage lifestyle changes related to cardiovascular risk warrants further study.

An exploratory study of cardiac health in college athletes.

A common assumption is that college athletes are healthy based on their age and level of physical activity. This study used a descriptive correlational design to explore relationships and predictors of physical fitness levels among an ethnically diverse sample of 135 college athletes from a National College Athletic Association Division II university. Both subjective and objective indices of cardiac health and physical fitness level (blood pressure [BP], body mass index [BMI], waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, hip circumference, blood lipids, glucose, and VO(2max)) were collected. Minimal research exists with this population or with such an array of subjective and objective measures. More than one fourth of the athletes had a BMI in the overweight range, one fifth was prehypertensive, and one fourth had lower-than-recommended high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Waist circumference accounted for 21% of the variance in systolic BP level. These factors may predispose the college athletes to cardiac risk in the future when exercise regimens are reduced. Gender differences were found in all physical size variables and in physical fitness levels, with physical fitness level alone predicting gender correctly 98.5% of the time. Differences support the need to account for gender and fitness levels in cardiac risk assessment of young populations.

Family history: value-added information in assessing cardiac health.

The purpose of this study was to describe family health history profiles and objective indices of cardiac health among ethnically diverse working adults. Family history of disease is an important predictor of individual health, yet is underused by clinicians. Participants were staff in an elder-care facility and completed a web-enabled program capturing family history, objective cardiovascular measures (blood lipids, blood pressure, height, weight, and waist-to-hip ratio), and subjective measures (anxiety, spirituality, and health status appraisal). Of the 44 participants, 89% were unable to provide complete information about their family health and mortality for the three-generation genogram; 25% had one or more first-degree relatives with cardiac disease; and more than two thirds had first-degree relatives with diabetes. More than 80% of the sample exhibited objective indices of risk including body mass indexes in the overweight or obese categories. Family history information was incorporated into health screening and enabled more appropriate health counseling for these employees.

Workplace health promotion--strategies for low-income Hispanic immigrant women.

Addressing health disparities for vulnerable populations in the United States is a national goal. Immigrant Hispanic women, at increased risk for heart disease, face obstacles in receiving adequate health care. Health promotion, especially for Hispanic women, is hindered by language, access to care, lack of insurance, and cultural factors. Innovative health education approaches are needed to reach this population. This article describes the development and evaluation of a culturally sensitive cardiac health education program based on findings from a study of 21 older immigrant Hispanic women employed as housekeepers at a small university in south Texas. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures had decreased 17 months after the intervention.

Cardiovascular risk among older Hispanic women: a pilot study.

This study used a descriptive correlational design to describe the relationship between cardiovascular risk and anxiety, spirituality, acculturation, and the objective indices of cardiac risk among a sample of 21 adult Hispanic women. Objective indices of risk included weight, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose. Four survey instruments were used to assess anxiety, spirituality, acculturation, and perceived risk. Findings revealed that all study participants had 3 or more risk factors, placing them in the moderate risk category for developing heart disease or having a heart attack within 10 years. State and trait anxiety scores were lower than the normative samples for adult women. Spirituality scores were higher than average; individuals with higher anxiety scores had lower spirituality scores. More research is needed to determine the health needs of unskilled workers with limited education in employment settings.