A lifestyle approach to reducing cardiovascular risk factors in underserved women: design and methods of the Illinois WISEWOMAN Program.
BACKGROUND
Few lifestyle intervention programs address the needs of financially disadvantaged, low literacy populations. The overall goal of the Illinois WISEWOMAN Program (IWP) was to design such a program and test its effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, specifically physical activity and nutrition factors. The purpose of this paper is to describe the IWP study design and methods, development of the evidence-based curriculum appropriate for a low socioeconomic status (SES) population, and baseline characteristics of IWP participants.


METHODS
The Cooper Institute, in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the University of Illinois at Chicago, adapted evidence-based interventions for financially disadvantaged, low literacy populations. The study used a randomized, two-group, experimental design. In total, 1021 women were recruited from the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, which serves uninsured and underinsured women, aged 40-64, at or below 200% of poverty. The women were randomized to either a minimum intervention (MI) or an enhanced intervention (EI) group. Both groups received CVD risk factor screening and educational materials. Additionally, the EI group received a 12-week lifestyle intervention.


RESULTS
Baseline comparisons show equivalent groups. IWP participants had a higher prevalence of obesity and smoking than similar national samples.


CONCLUSIONS
IWP addressed many of the cultural and implementation barriers in programs that seek to improve the health of financially disadvantaged, low literacy populations. Because of the high burden of disease, the unique study population, and the sound design, we anticipate that our future results will contribute to the translation literature, which has largely ignored significant health disparities.
Khare
Manorama M
MM
Center for Research on Women and Gender, National Center for Excellence in Women's Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois 60608, USA. mkhare1@uic.edu
Huber
Rachel
R
Carpenter
Ruth Ann
RA
Balmer
Pamela W
PW
Bates
Nancy J
NJ
Nolen
Kristen N
KN
Hudson
Heather K
HK
Lattyak
Rose M
RM
Cursio
John F
JF
Loo
Ryan K
RK
Farris
Rosanne P
RP
Will
Julie C
JC
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016387:Women's Health; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*