A Lifestyle Approach to Reducing Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Underserved Women: Results of the Illinois WISEWOMAN Program

The Illinois WISEWOMAN program (IWP) is a cardiovascular risk reduction program with the primary aim of improving cardiovascular health of women aged 40-64 using a physical activity and nutrition lifestyle change behavior intervention. A randomized experimental design was used to assign 1021 women to the minimum intervention group (MI) which received standard care, or the enhanced intervention group (EI) which received a 12-week lifestyle change intervention. Weekly sessions were conducted in either English (n=835) or Spanish (n=186) to women in a group setting. The behavioral intervention developed by the Cooper Institute specifically for IWP uses constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model. All women were screened at baseline, post-intervention, 12 and 24 months post-intervention for height, weight, cholesterol, LDL, blood glucose, blood pressure, dietary intake, and physical activity. The evaluation conducted by the Center for Research on Women and Gender showed no baseline differences between the MI and EI group. There was a significant increase in physical activity at post-intervention and at the 24 month follow-up (p<0.05). There was a significant increase in fiber consumption (p< 0.05) and improvement in fat related behaviors at the 12 and 24 month follow-up (p< 0.05). There was a decrease in mean levels of total cholesterol and blood glucose from baseline to post-intervention with a plateauing of the levels at the 12 month and 24 month follow-ups. The results show a significant change in physical activity and nutrition behaviors that over time would reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.