title: Risk perception and its association with cardiac risk and health behaviors among urban minority adults: the Bronx Coronary Risk Perception study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine the relationship among risk perceptions, health behaviors, and a measure for actual risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults from three outpatient medical clinics with at least one CHD risk factor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Perceived risk using the new Coronary Risk, Individual Perception (CRIP) scale, an index of CHD risk, and summary scores for self-reported diet and exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bivariate associations using Spearman rank and Kruskal-Wallis; multiple regression models for outcomes (health behaviors).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 16-item CRIP scale had acceptable internal consistency (alpha = 0.76; interitem total correlation = 0.34 +/- 0.17). The response rate was 80.3%, and the mean age of 256 respondents was 56.6 (+/- 9.9) years; 70% were women, 63% Hispanic, and 27% black. CRIP scores were inversely associated with low fat/high fiber intake (r = - 0.17; p = .007) and exercise (r = -0.19; p = .003). Among respondents with three or more CHD risk factors (n = 132), 44% perceived themselves to be at low risk for CHD. In multivariable models, men with high CRIP scores had higher fat intake than women (p = .02), but men exercised more (p = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, gender moderated the relationship between risk perception and health behaviors, and many respondents underestimated their risk of CHD. Behavioral intervention research aimed at reducing cardiometabolic risk in minority populations should resolve differences between perceived and actual risk of CHD to foster lifestyle changes and examine temporal relationships between risk perception and health behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Belfer 1306A, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. barnhart@aecom.yu.edu
authors.forename: Janice M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barnhart
authors.forename: Natania D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silagy
authors.forename: Nereida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011594:Psychometrics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D014505:Urban Population