title: Vivir Con Un Corazón Saludable: a Community-Based Educational Program Aimed at Increasing Cardiovascular Health Knowledge in High-Risk Hispanic Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hispanic women suffer from high rates of cardiometabolic risk factors and an increasingly disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Particularly, Hispanic women with limited English proficiency suffer from low levels of CVD knowledge associated with adverse CVD health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two predominantly Spanish-speaking Hispanic women completed, Vivir Con un Corazón Saludable (VCUCS), a culturally tailored Spanish language-based 6-week intensive community program targeting CVD health knowledge through weekly interactive health sessions. A 30-question CVD knowledge questionnaire was used to assess mean changes in CVD knowledge at baseline and postintervention across five major knowledge domains including CVD epidemiology, dietary knowledge, medical information, risk factors, and heart attack symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Completion of the program was associated with a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in total mean CVD knowledge scores from 39 % (mean 11.7/30.0) to 66 % (mean 19.8/30.0) postintervention consistent with a 68 % increase in overall mean CVD scores. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in mean knowledge scores across all five CVD domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A culturally tailored Spanish language-based health program is effective in increasing CVD awareness among high CVD risk Hispanic women with low English proficiency and low baseline CVD knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. dcromero@partners.org.
authors.forename: Daniela C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Aileen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sauris
authors.affiliation: Standford Hospital and Clinics, Standford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ankita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: JoAnne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Foody
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D057220:Health Literacy; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Health literacy; Prevention; Women's health