Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105266

Rachael S. Fulp, MPH¹, JudyAnn Bigby, MD², Paula A. Johnson, MD, MPH³, John A. Rich, MD, MPH⁴, Barbara Barrow Murray⁵, Tiffany Hill⁵, Curtis Henderson⁵, and Mike Lynch⁶. (1) Center for Cardiovascular Disease in Women, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, BC-3, Boston, MA 02115, 617-732-7076, rfulp@partners.og, (2) Office for Women, Family, and Community Programs, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School's Center of Excellence in Women's Health, 1620 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02120, (3) Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, PBB5, Boston, MA 02115, (4) Boston Public Health Commission, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 6th floor, Boston, MA 02118, (5) Access Studios and Multimedia Center, Boston Neighborhood Network Telelvision, 308 Mall of Roxbury, Roxbury, MA 02119, (6) Office of Cable Communications, City of Boston, 43 Hawkins Street, Boston, MA 02114

Purpose

To develop and deliver a practical, engaging, culturally acceptable television-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction program for black women.

Methodology

Responding to recommendations from a heart disease task force in Boston, MA, representatives from Boston's health department, a teaching hospital, and local cable network developed a CVD reduction program for black women. We used segments of SisterTalk, a cable television-based program to promote healthy eating and physical activity in black women, as a foundation for the new program, SisterTalk 2. We chose program elements based on literature reviews, review of SisterTalk footage, and assessment of existing CVD reduction programs. The team developed the program configuration and content and recruited black participants, including two hosts, seven medical experts, and three local women with CVD risk factors. Medical team members provided medical expertise. Television team members produced the shows by writing scripts; designing sets; shooting and editing new footage; and combining new and original footage.

Results

SisterTalk 2 has ten thirty-minute shows; all include an introduction, medical expert interview, real life women discussions, and healthy eating and/or physical activity segments. The shows cover CVD, risk factors, and advocacy, and follow three local women over a 12-week period as they cope with changing behaviors. Programs aired on Boston cable access from September to November 2004.

Conclusion

This program demonstrates the value of collaborative partnership to create a television-based CVD risk reduction program for black women. This process can be applied to other risk reduction programs and additional racial and ethnic groups.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss key steps to constructing a cardiovascular disease prevention and risk reduction program for television or video.
• Describe the unique role of women from the target population in developing program content.
• List eight key components to a cardiovascular disease prevention and risk reduction program.

Keywords: African American, Women

Related Web page: www.brighamandwomens.org/cardiovasculardisease/sistertalk.asp

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation