Promoting Cardiovascular Health in Vulnerable Populations of Women

Abstract

Women who live in poverty are most at risk for heart disease, yet their primary health care is often fragmented resulting in episodic visits to health care providers, and a paucity of access to prevention activities. Furthermore, the majority of lifestyle modification tools that are currenlty available are geared toward middle class women. In Vancouver’s inner city, women face social and structural barriers to accessing health care: poverty, social isolation, violence, caregiving burden and language barriers. These barriers contribute to health inequities, the effects of which are cumulative over the lifespan and contribute significantly to higher rates of heart disease. Successful implementation of a new program requires in-depth planning, tailoring of educational materials, engagement of key stakeholders and collaboration with community partners. Funding for two demonstration projects was obtained to address this gap and develop a program that will best deliver prevention strategies to marginalized women who are most at risk. The two projects were implemented and evaluated in Vancouver's inner city over the last 18 months. The focus of the projects was to deliver a women’s centred program in a group format that emphasized simple ways to make positive changes within the context of their complex lives. This presentation will discuss the development, implementation and evaluation of both projects which took place consecutively in two different communities.