title: Characteristics of women lost to follow-up in cardiovascular community health interventions: findings from the Sister to Sister campaign.
abstract: Community-based interventions (CBI) have been targeted as a potential means of tackling cardiovascular disease in women. However, there have been mixed results in terms of their impact on health, with at least some of this being attributed to high attrition rates. This study explores factors that may be contributing to the low retention of women in cardiovascular CBIs. In 2009, Sister to Sister, a national organization that sponsors community health fairs, provided free cardiovascular health screenings for a total of 9,443 women nationwide. All participants were invited to enroll in a 1 year, survey-based observational study to assess the effectiveness of these community health screenings. Of these 9,443 women, 5.9 % actively participated in the follow-up study. Participants were more likely to have health insurance (75.5 vs. 65.3 %, p < 0.001), have an annual income above 75,000 dollars (26.7 vs. 19.7 %, p < 0.001), and identify themselves as white (50.0 vs. 31.5 %, p < 0.001). They were also more likely to have hypertension (32.1 vs. 27.4 %, p = 0.018) and metabolic syndrome (35.7 vs. 20.4 %, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that white, affluent women with health insurance and cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to engage in CBIs that require longitudinal assessment. This study gives insight into the demographics, socioeconomic status, and cardiovascular comorbidities of women who participate in cardiovascular CBIs. The results may prove to be useful in understanding the biopsychosocial barriers to participation in CBIs in order to develop more effective interventions in the future.
authors: Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors: Sahar
authors: S
authors: Naderi
authors: Caitlin E
authors: CE
authors: Johnson
authors: Fátima
authors: F
authors: Rodriguez
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Pollin
authors: JoAnne M
authors: JM
authors: Foody
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D059012:Lost to Follow-Up; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors