Feasibility of a primary health care programme aiming at reducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors among women in a Swedish community, Strömstad.
In the Swedish community of Strömstad, where the mortality from cardiovascular disease is high in the female population, all women aged 45-64 years were offered a health survey with the main purpose of screening for cardiovascular risk factors. Altogether 927 of 1084 women (86%) participated. Women with one or more risk factors were invited to attend a three-month course organized by the primary health care service to receive information about how they themselves could influence their risk factors by changing dietary and physical exercise patterns. At a follow-up survey three months later, the participants in the courses had significantly improved many of their risk factor values compared with the non-participants. The improvement was still mainly present a year later.
Björkelund
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Health Centre of Strömstad, Sweden.
Bengtsson
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D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden