title: Assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors in the coastal region of South Carolina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess risk factors for cardiovascular disease, barriers to health care, and desired health care education topics for Hispanics in the coastal region of South Carolina known as the Lowcountry.
  
  
  METHODS
  174 Hispanic adults were surveyed at visits at the Mexican consulate using a novel interview instrument. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was compared to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual telephone survey, to evaluate the validity of the survey instrument.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results are comparable to the BRFSS telephone study of the Hispanics in the same area. However, participants in our study were older (Age > 35 = 41.4% vs. 34.9%) and reported fewer years of formal education (higher level education = 12.9% vs. 44.2%). Cost of care (72.8%) and language barriers (46.8%) were the main difficulties reported in obtaining health care access. The main educational topics of interest were diabetes (61.5%), hypertension (43.7%), stress (42.5%), and cardiac disease (40.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study supports the evidence that there is a demand and need for cardiovascular disease and diabetes education among Hispanics. Our study also shows that a large proportion of Hispanics experience barriers to health care. and that large telephone studies may underrepresent higher risk Hispanic populations.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McElligott
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McElligott
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rivell
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lambright
authors.forename: Laurine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Charles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology