Bridging the gap: Reducing the rate of cardiovascular disease in African Americans by educating community health workers using culturally sensitive health education strategies

Issues:

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among African Americans. African Americans are 30% more likely to die of a heart attack and 78% more likely to die of a stroke than White Americans. Research shows that people with more education are less likely to die from chronic diseases. By utilizing culturally sensitive community-based health education strategies, community health workers can make a substantial impact on reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the African American population.

Description:

This poster will focus on discussion of a two-day interactive skills building course exploring the impact of race, cultural beliefs and the stages of behavior change of African Americans in accessing preventative health techniques for cardiovascular disease. Emphasis is placed on adult learning principles, cultural competence, the transtheoretical model of behavior change and the use of persuasive messages to encourage and empower African American women and men to be screened for cardiovascular disease. Participants were required to pass a written and oral examination in order to ensure that the core competencies were achieved.

Lessons Learned:

The skills building course "Cardiovascular Disease Prevention for African Americans" has been delivered to 30 community based organizations within 9 states. Quantitative data revealed that 100% of the participants agreed that they had learned new skills as a result of the training and 85% planned to utilize the skills gained to improve health outcomes in their communities. Within a three year period, a reported 412 African Americans were educated on CVD prevention by participants who had attended the skills building course.

Recommendations:

Research groups, health agencies and organizations have recognized that barriers such as poverty, reduced access to health care, and late stage diagnosis all contribute to disparities in health. Promoting healthy behavior and lifestyle changes has inference to reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease among African American women and men.