A multi-component, community-engaged intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in perimenopausal Latinas:...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk significantly increases during perimenopause.
• Latinas exhibit a worse CVD risk factor profile compared to non-Hispanic White women, influenced by sociocultural and environmental factors.
• Existing interdisciplinary interventions have not adequately addressed nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and biological CVD risk in perimenopausal Latinas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a multi-component intervention designed to reduce CVD risk in perimenopausal Latinas.
• To evaluate the initial efficacy of this intervention on key CVD risk factors and health behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A two-group, repeated measures experimental design with 80 perimenopausal Latinas randomized to an intervention or wait-list control group.
• The intervention included 12 weekly sessions covering education, physical activity, stress management, and coping skills, followed by ongoing support and skill maintenance.
• Primary outcomes (arterial stiffness, blood pressure, lipids, blood glucose) and secondary outcomes (health behaviors, self-efficacy, adiposity, C-reactive protein, hair cortisol, vasomotor symptoms) were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to test the hypothesis that the intervention group will show greater improvements in biological CVD risk and health behaviors compared to the wait-list control.
• Feasibility will be assessed through enrollment/retention rates, barriers/facilitators, intervention fidelity, procedure suitability, and participant satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform the feasibility of behavioral interventions, including stress management and coping skills, for reducing CVD burden in perimenopausal Latinas.
• Improving CVD risk in this demographic could significantly impact the overall CVD burden in the United States, given the large Hispanic/Latino population.