Improving Equitable Access to Cardiovascular Health Education in Minority Women in the Urban Midwest

Cardiovascular disease among women is more prevalent than any other disease. Over 480,000 women in the United States die from heart disease, more than the next 5 leading causes of death including cancer. Minority women experience a higher rate of incidence of chronic disease. With shorter life spans, lack of education, higher poverty rates, and limited access to health care, these women are predisposed to a greater risk of heart disease. Disparity in access to health education and health literacy contribute to this higher rate of incidence. A health education program was developed with an aim of improving cardiovascular health literacy in women of lower socioeconomic status. The health belief model informed development and planning of the program. The model used existent literature on cardiovascular education along with expertise of an interdisciplinary project team from in the community of interest. The program emphasizes the advantages of a healthy lifestyle, cultivation of self-advocacy, and provision of tools for women to promote their own cardiovascular health. Implementation and evaluation plans were developed as part of this project to provide a fully developed program that can be implemented and sustained with minimal additional investment. Potential exists for positive social change through improvement of health literacy of women at risk for cardiovascular disease in an area of lower socioeconomic status. If long term evaluation of this program warrants expansion, similar programs may be developed in other metropolitan areas, improving health of women of lower socioeconomic status nationwide.