Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities: A Community-Based Randomized Trial for Rural Women. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate a multilevel cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention program for rural women. METHODS: This 6-month, community-based, randomized trial enrolled 194 sedentary rural women aged 40 or older with BMI25 kg/m2 . Intervention participants attended 6 months of twice-weekly exercise, nutrition, and heart health classes (48 total) that included individual-, social-, and environment-level components. An education-only control program included didactic healthy lifestyle classes once a month (six total). The primary outcome measures were change in BMI and weight. RESULTS: Within-group and between-group multivariate analyses revealed that only intervention participants decreased BMI (-0.85 units; 95% CI: -1.32 to -0.39; P=0.001) and weight (-2.24 kg; 95% CI: -3.49 to -0.99; P=0.002). Compared with controls, intervention participants decreased BMI (difference: -0.71 units; 95% CI: -1.35 to -0.08; P=0.03) and weight (1.85 kg; 95% CI: -3.55 to -0.16; P=0.03) and improved C-reactive protein (difference: -1.15 mg/L; 95% CI: -2.16 to -0.15; P=0.03) and Simple 7, a composite CVD risk score (difference: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.14 to 1.21; P=0.01). Cholesterol decreased among controls but increased in the intervention group (-7.85 vs. 3.92 mg/dL; difference: 11.77; 95% CI: 0.57 to 22.96; P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The multilevel intervention demonstrated modest but superior and meaningful improvements in BMI and other CVD risk factors compared with the control program.

published proceedings

  • Obesity (Silver Spring)

altmetric score

  • 3.75

author list (cited authors)

  • Seguin, R. A., Paul, L., Folta, S. C., Nelson, M. E., Strogatz, D., Graham, M. L., ... Parry, S. A.

citation count

  • 27

complete list of authors

  • Seguin, Rebecca A||Paul, Lynn||Folta, Sara C||Nelson, Miriam E||Strogatz, David||Graham, Meredith L||Diffenderfer, Anna||Eldridge, Galen||Parry, Stephen A

publication date

  • May 2018

publisher