Counseling Women With Heart Disease In Rural Alabama

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Center for Health Promotion

Topics:
Cardiovascular Health

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for women in the United States, and the risk for heart disease is higher for African-American women than white women. Low socioeconomic levels are also associated with higher rates of heart disease.  To help reduce and prevent health risks for minority women and women with low income, a training curriculum (Women's Wellness Sourcebook Module III Heart Disease and Stroke) was developed to teach community health advisors (CHAs) to counsel women about risks for heart disease. In this 2-year project, researchers adapted the training curriculum to include content for preventing health risks associated with having heart disease and tested it among low-income and African-American women who have heart disease and reside in isolated rural areas of Alabama. Researchers determined if the curriculum increased CHAs' knowledge and their ability to change their own risk behaviors as well as bring about behavioral changes in the women they counseled.

 

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