The StrongWomen-Healthy Hearts Program: Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Rural Sedentary, Overweight, and Obese Midlife and Older Women

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 99; no. 7; pp. 1271 - 1277
• Main Authors: Folta, Sara C, Lichtenstein, Alice H, Seguin, Rebecca A, Goldberg, Jeanne P, Kuder, Julia F, Nelson, Miriam E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.07.2009; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anthropometry; Arkansas; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Chi-Square Distribution; Clinical trials; Cognitive ability; Confidence Intervals; Diet; Diet, Reducing; Disease prevention; Energy Intake; Exercise; Female; Food; Health care; Health Promotion - methods; Heart; Humans; Intervention; Kansas; Lifestyles; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle age; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Nutrition; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - prevention & control; Older people; Overweight; Overweight - complications; Overweight - prevention & control; Participation; Physical fitness; Population; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; Research and Practice; Risk Factors; Rural areas; Rural Health; Rural Population; Teachers; Treatment Outcome; Womens health; Arkansas; Kansas; Human; Obesity; Middle age; Rural environment; Program; Body weight; Nutrition disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Corporal biometry; Overweight; Heart disease; Risk factor; Cardiovascular risk; Female; Woman; Sedentary; Elderly; Nutritional status; Public health
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.145581

We tested a community-based intervention designed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in sedentary midlife and older women who were overweight or obese. In a randomized controlled trial conducted in 8 counties in Arkansas and Kansas, counties were assigned to the intervention (a 12-week twice-weekly heart health program) group or to the delayed-intervention control group. Ten to fifteen women were selected from each site, and participants' weight, waist circumference, diet, physical activity, and self-efficacy were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with multiple regressions. Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group had a significant decrease in body weight (-2.1 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.2, -1.0), waist circumference (-2.3 in; 95% CI = -4.2, -0.5), and energy intake (-390 kcal/day; 95% CI = -598, -183); an increase in activity (+1637 steps/day; 95% CI = 712, 2562); and an increase in self-efficacy for dietary and physical activity behaviors. Our results suggest that a community-based program can improve self-efficacy, increase physical activity, and decrease energy intake, resulting in decreased waist circumference and body weight among at-risk women.