The frequency and distribution of cardiovascular disease risk factors among Nebraska women enrolled in the WISEWOMAN screening program

Abstract

Objectives: To examine cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and changes in the 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in women who participated in the WISEWOMAN program in Nebraska.

Methods: Data for analysis were available for a total of 10,739 women who received CVD screening between September 2002 and December 2004. We examined the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and CVD risk factors, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high body mass index (BMI), and diabetes. Additionally, we assessed the 10-year CHD risk and the change in risk factors for CVD.

Results: The incidence was 31 per 1000 for hyperglycemia, 66 per 1000 for hypertension, and 157 per 1000 for high cholesterol. The prevalence of obesity was 447 per 1000. Nonwhite, older, less educated, and rural women were more likely to be overweight or obese. Older, less educated, and overweight to obese women were more likely to have hyperglycemia and high blood pressure. Older and overweight to obese women were more likely to have high total cholesterol and an increased 10-year CHD risk.

Conclusions: Race, age, and rural residence were related to CVD risk factors among low-income women in Nebraska. The effect of program eligibility requirements as a barrier to return visits should be more closely examined, and strategies to facilitate repeat screenings on WISEWOMAN projects should be undertaken. Additionally, women on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum were less likely to return for repeat visits, suggesting that further investigation is needed to understand why these women fail to return for screening services.