Perspectives of Puerto Rican Adults About Heart Health and a Potential Community Program

Puerto Ricans are the second largest Hispanic group in the United States, and older adults have significant health disparities. Educational programs that address heart disease risk for this population have rarely been developed and implemented. Purpose To address this gap, the Heart Healthy Initiati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of health education Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 76 - 85
Main Authors Todorova, Irina L.G., Tejada, Shirley, Castaneda-Sceppa, Carmen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2014
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
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Summary:Puerto Ricans are the second largest Hispanic group in the United States, and older adults have significant health disparities. Educational programs that address heart disease risk for this population have rarely been developed and implemented. Purpose To address this gap, the Heart Healthy Initiative for Puerto Rican adults is being developed. To develop it as a participatory program, the community members were asked about their perspectives. Methods Five focus groups with 28 participants, aged 45 to 60, were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. In-depth analysis of meanings of health-promoting behaviors in the context of cultural beliefs and values was carried out. Results The following themes were identified: health as balance and integration; health as connection of self, connection with others; cultural meanings of lifestyle choices; stresses and struggles. Participants suggested that the program should have significant variety and a holistic perspective, be sensitive to different needs and motivations, and stimulate mutual understanding and shared cultural meanings. Discussion The program needs to support lifestyle changes that maximally preserve traditions and to introduce multilevel changes. Translation to Health Education Practice The identified cultural meanings of diet, physical activity, and relationships were taken into account to develop the educational curriculum.
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ISSN:1932-5037
2168-3751
DOI:10.1080/19325037.2013.875961