The Effects of a Two-Year Education Program on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Pre-menopausal Women

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To understand which cardiovascular disease risk factors are most likely to be affected by education and at which time periods these effects are greatest for pre-menopausal Midwestern women. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and reduction are important issues concerning women's health in the U.S. The objective of this study was to determine whether a two-year education program would decrease CVD risk in pre-menopausal women. Two hundred eighty-two pre-menopausal women were recruited through Cooperative Extension Service at seven Illinois sites. Half served as controls receiving no educational intervention. The intervention consisted of six monthly education sessions, followed by 6 months of fact sheet mailings. Four educational follow-up sessions were provided in year two. CVD risk factor assessment data was collected at baseline and 6, 12, 24 months. CVD risk was calculated based upon body mass index (BMI) >25, % body fat >30%, waist-to-hip ratio >0.8, and % intake of calories from fat > 30%. T-tests were used to determine differences between mean scores for treatment (T) and control (C) groups; repeated measures analysis for differences within a group over time. At baseline, 45% had a BMI > 25; 48% were consuming > 30% of calories as fat; 25% had a waist:hip ratio > 0.8; and 74% had a body fat percentage > 25. There were no significant differences (p<0.05) between T and C mean risk factor values at baseline or at 6 months. At 12 and 24 months there were no significant differences between T and C for any mean risk factor value except waist-to-hip ratio (p=0.047;p=0.02). However, the percentage of women for whom fat intake was a risk fell 29% and 49% at 12 and 24 months, respectively in T, but only 18% and 30% for C. For data baseline to 12 months, repeated measures analysis was significant (p=0.00) only for T group's percent calories from fat and for C group's percent body fat. For baseline data to 24 months, only C group's % body fat was significant (p=0.03). In conclusion, CVD risk factors are prevalent in pre-menopausal women. Sustained educational programs can modify dietary fat intake, both in mean values and the percentage of women for whom fat intake is a risk.