Health Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors among Women at High Risk for Cardiovascular Diseases
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- Category: Vol. 81, March 2013
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Health Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors among Women at High Risk for Cardiovascular Diseases,NAGLAA M. EL MOKADEM
Abstract
Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is number one killer in women in the developed countries. Women are more likely than men to have multiple risk factors for CVD. Assessment of women's CVD risk will help in early detection and prevention of such devastating mortality and morbidity. Risk-reducing behaviors in women are difficult to measure because the small percentage of women included in the previous studies. Little is known about why women do not practice a healthy promoting behavior. More knowledge is needed about women health promotion behavior and charac-teristics that influence a healthy lifestyle so that nurse can help women at high risk to reduce their risk and ultimately prevent the development and progression of CVD. Thus the aims of the study were to: 1- To determine the health-promoting behaviors of women at high-risk for cardiovascular diseases;
2-Explore the relationship between women' cardiovascular risk score and their health promoting lifestyle behaviors; and
3-Examine to what extent demographic variables such as, age, marital status, level of education, income, explain women' health promoting behaviors.
Subjects and Methods: A correlational cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 70 women partic-ipated in the study. The study was conducted at different out-patients clinics at Menofia University teaching hospital. Cardiovascular Diseases Risk Profile was calculated using Framingham CVD prediction points to assess the subjects' actual cardiovascular disease risk. The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) used to measure current health promoting practices.
Results: The majority of the women had Diabetes Miletus 74%, hypertension 71% and 10% were obese. Regarding the CVD risk scores, 51% of the women in the sample were classified as high-risk subjects. The mean item score of HPLP II was 2.44, indicating that women did not practice health promoting behaviors. Women in the present study reported the highest scores in the subscale of nutrition 2.83 and the lowest scores in the subscale of physical activity 1.77.
Conclusions: Women do not practice health promoting behaviors on a regular basis. The identification of hindrances to healthy cardiovascular behaviors is the first step for the achievement of effective risk reduction interventions targeted and tailored to women at high risk for CVD. Health care providers must be influential in risk factor reduction and promoting cardiovascular health for women of all ages.