 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Christy Inskip, BA1, Patti Herring, PhD, RN1, Susanne Montgomery, PhD, MPH1, Heather Diaz, MPH1, Lourdes Vizcaino, BS2, Patricia Gonzalez, BS1, Julie Pham, BS1, Chuck Soliz, BA1, Kanchana Bhat, BSc3, Marlon Minera, BS1, and Elizabeth Holzhauser, MPH CHES1. (1) Health Promotion & Education, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Nichol Hall, Loma Linda, CA 92350, 909 558-8729, cinskip04p@sph.llu.edu, (2) Western States Affiliate, American Heart Association, 1003 East Cooley Drive, Suite 102, Colton, CA 92324, (3) Environmental & Occupational Health, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Nichol Hall, Loma Linda, CA 92350
Compared to Whites or Asian Americans, Latinos tend to have higher rates of heart disease. Healthy People 2010 goals include the narrowing of health disparities for heart disease and stroke. This project set out to better understand issues related to heart disease prevention among the parishioners of a predominantly Latino church community located in San Bernardino County, CA. In 2002, this church's geographical area ranked sixth in the County for heart-disease-related deaths. American Heart Association, in partnership with Pfizer, conducted a health screening for cholesterol and hypertension at a health fair at this church. Of the 200 participants, 50% had high cholesterol and hypertension. This resulted in a collaborative with graduate students from LLU SPH to assess the needs and to better understand these high disease risk factors. This assessment used elements of the Social Cognitive Theory, which consisted of windshield surveys, 15 key informant interviews, a focus group, secondary data and literature reviews. Emerging themes include: a tendency by the target population to prefer holistic approaches to health; a preference to obtain health care in Mexico; cultural barriers to exercising and eating; need for positive reinforcement through social support; and the desire for an advisory board and a program based upon the Promotora Model. The participants' overarching concern was to achieve a working knowledge within the context of their lives of how to maintain heart-healthy lifestyles. These themes will be presented as well as a model for future intervention programs targeting Latinos within church settings.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Heart Disease, Latino Health
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.