title: The cardiovascular health status of minority female nursing assistants working in long-term care: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the cardiovascular disease (CVD) status of nursing assistants (NAs) working in long-term care.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Most research with NAs focus on work-related outcomes despite NAs' potentially high risk for CVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline data from a pilot physical activity (PA) and diet focused health promotion study were used to describe NAs CVD risk. Objective (blood pressure, lipid panel, PA levels, body mass index) and subjective (depressive symptoms) data from 39 NAs were used to provide a CVD assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine (76.3%) participants had at least three CVD risk factors. Specifically, 18% of participants were hypertensive, 89% of participants were overweight/obese, 90% of participants had hyperlipidemia and 97% of participants did not meet PA guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest NAs working in long-term care have multiple CVD risk factors. Future research should consider PA and diet focused worksite health promotion (WHP) interventions to decrease their CVD risks.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: Kflan001@son.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flannery
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akpadiaha
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Baltimore and Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Tara L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: McMullen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000208:ethnology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology*; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D017132:Workplace
keywords: African-American; Cardiovascular disease; Health promotion; Nursing assistants; Women