Assessment of cardiovascular risk factor awareness and accentuation of early detection among African-American college students

Abstract

Mississippi dubiously ranks first in the nation in the number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Mississippi also ranks first in prevalence rates of obesity (24.3%) and diabetes (8.8%), which are clearly associated risks for the development of CVD. While overall CVD mortality rates have been declining, Mississippi African-American rates of death have not been improving at the same rate. The most disturbing data are those for younger African-Americans, who have a three to four times greater risk of CVD death than their white counterparts. The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of CVD risk factors in students attending a historically African-American university, and to emphasize the need for early risk factor detection. Participants were assessed for CVD risk factors including blood pressure, height, and weight. An awareness questionnaire based on the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was also utilized to assess self-reported physical activity, dietary behaviors, and tobacco consumption. Students were given risk factor results and received individual education from health care professionals during the screening. The total number of students who completed the screening and questionnaire was 138 (with ages ranging from 17-29 and average age of 20.4 years). Of these, the average BMI was 26.34, and 21% of students had a BMI of > 30. A total of 79 students (56%) were considered overweight or obese (BMI>25). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 122.5 mm Hg and 73.4 mm Hg, respectively. On the self-reported questionnaire, 11 students (8%) reported smoking cigarettes some or every day and 21 students (15%) stated they did not participate in any physical activity. Only 23 students (17%) reported eating fruits on a daily basis, while 88 students (64%) reported visiting a health care provider in the past year for a checkup. As for awareness of risk factors, 21 (14%) students reported knowing blood pressure goals, while only 1 (0%) student reported knowing BMI goals. Data from this study support the need for increased awareness of CVD risk factors in the African-American college students attending this university. The data also suggest that more emphasis should be placed on early detection of all CVD risk factors to reduce alarming disparities among younger African-Americans.