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. 1996 Feb;86(2):166–171. doi: 10.2105/ajph.86.2.166

The Washington Heights-Inwood Healthy Heart Program: a 6-year report from a disadvantaged urban setting.

S Shea 1, C E Basch 1, H Wechsler 1, R Lantigua 1
PMCID: PMC1380323  PMID: 8633731

Abstract

OBJECTIVES. This report summarizes 6 years of experience in a large community-based cardiovascular disease prevention program in a predominately minority, urban setting. METHODS. The program seeks to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in an area of approximately 240,000 people in New York, NY; this population includes many Latino immigrants of low educational attainment and socioeconomic status. All program materials were in Spanish and English and at a low literacy level. RESULTS. Major elements that achieved high levels of reach and support were a marketing campaign promoting low-fat milk, exercise clubs, and a Spanish-language smoking cessation video. Program elements that did not meet expectations or were abandoned were school-based smoking prevention initiatives, cholesterol screening, and efforts to involve local physicians. At the end of 6 years, the program was transferred to a local community organization. CONCLUSIONS. Conclusions are that it is feasible to implement a complex cardiovascular disease prevention program in a socially disadvantaged urban community; that additional evaluation research is needed; that such programs can be transferred from an academic center to a community organization; and that such programs are unlikely to be sustained effectively without external resources.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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