title: Women health heart project: Methodology and effect of interventional strategies on low education participants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in women. Intervention programs aimed at improving the lifestyle can reduce the incidence of these diseases and their factors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of the interventions impact on CVD risk factors and the women's physical and biochemical indicators based on education levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program after identifying the status of women over the age of 18 and over five years, a large educational or environmental intervention was performed in different methodologies and in order to improve the lifestyle. Some organizations such as health care centers and the Literacy Campaign Organization have cooperated for low educated women. Demographic data and risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and serum lipids were investigated and compared during the first and last phase. Data were entered in SPSS-15 software and were analyzed by using T-test in two independent samples, Chi-square test and Fisher exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings of this study showed that performing the five years interventions could reduce physical and biochemical indexes such as nutrition, lipid profile, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio in both groups (P < 0.005). In the pre-intervention phase, 6391 subjects and after the intervention 4786 women participated. After Interventions, women with higher educational levels were showed significant decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) (P = 0.01) and dyslipidemia (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that the community-based interventions even in low-literate women could cause effective changes on improving lifestyle and CVD risk factors. Due to the greater impact of interventions in literate women, effective interventions should be considered in the society to decrease the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Safoura
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yazdekhasti
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roohafza
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pourmoghaddas
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kasaei
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Pejman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aghdak
keywords: Education level; lifestyle modification; literacy movement; risk factors; women