Table 3.

Healthy Practices and Facilitators

Smoking Avoidance

Example 1: “My family smokes. Before I married my husband, he smoked. If they’re smoking and I go into the house, I start coughing. It’s hard to breathe so I go outside and I feel better. It’s like I’m smoking. Second-hand. If they’re smoking, I will go outside and tell them to stop smoking so I can come back inside or to open all the windows so I can feel better.”

Accessible Health Information

Example 1: “I read a lot online from WebMD for more information. I also read Kid Scholar, which is a book that is simple enough for me to understand and sign out to myself.” Example 2: “… I don’t need the advanced vocabulary. I like the kids’ books, which are easy to understand.” Example 3: “There was the DEAR (Deaf Elders Around Rochester) picnic where they talked about the heart. I knew most of the things said, but it was really nice having someone sign it out as well as seeing PowerPoint slides with pictures than having to assume these things myself…”

Personal Experience and Knowledge of Family History

Example 1: “My family has a history of problems with the heart before the age of 75. One was at 77, but that’s the only one. I expect I will go the same way. I have had a heart catheter two times and three stents within the past year so now I’m worrying a lot about it. I’m trying to eat right and and slim down again. It’s tough.” Example 2: “Exercise is important for me because my father had a heart bypass when he was young; he was 58 years old… I exercise because that could happen to me.”

Health Care Provider

Example 1: “Well, I guess for heart, cholesterol, and blood pressure reasons. He [ASL fluent primary care physician] encouraged me to start walking so I’m walking now… a week or two ago, three women who work at the Deaf Wellness Center wanted to start walking three times a week right by where I live so I joined them. The four of us go walking for an hour at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”