Advancing cardiovascular nursing science among Hispanic/Latinos, an understudied racial and ethnic group, is the broad, long-term objective of this study that marks the beginning of a research career trajectory. Published reports show that coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and that underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups experience health disparities in access, preventive care, and medical treatment of CHD. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to promote cardiovascular health in Mexican-American women. Study findings will make an important contribution toward eliminating the unevenness of health care among underrepresented groups. By investigating CHD in Mexican-American women, this study reflects the mission of the NIH and the NHLBI to advance the science of diseases of the heart and its blood vessels, as well as add to the growth and development of women's cardiovascular health and disease.
The specific aims of the proposed study will investigate the relationships between the variables of knowledge of CHD and risk, perceived health status, menopausal status, and acculturation level, on promoting cardiovascular health in Mexican-American women. The primary aim will determine the predictability of the relationships between the variables to promote a heart-healthy lifestyle. Secondary aims will determine the weight of the relationships in explaining current lifestyle behaviors, and the level of influence of these relationships on individual intention to engage in health-promoting lifestyle behaviors. This study will be a descriptive correlational design that targets Mexican-American women. Inclusion criteria are women who are undiagnosed with CHD, or at-risk for CHD by having one or more known risk factors. Identified risk factors are hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity, as well as smoking, poor dietary habits, and physical inactivity. These women can be native and non-native born, and both English and non-English speaking. Group division for comparison will be by age, menopausal status, and country of birth. Selected instrumentation for measurement has both English and Spanish versions with acceptable reliability and validity scores.
People can prevent CHD or reduce their risk by engaging in behaviors that promote their health. For a healthy heart, these behaviors include not smoking, eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, maintaining or reducing weight, and managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugars. Thus, the relevance of this study to public health supports a widespread adoption of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
