Evaluation of Honoring the Gift of Heart Health: The Strong Heart Study

Due to the higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the "Honoring the Gift of Heart Health" CVD risk factor educational program was developed specifically for American Indian communities. However, the effectiveness of educational program materials may change overtime and updates may be required to influence community health behaviors. Therefore, the aim of this project was to work with American Indians to provide recommendations on updating the "Honoring the Gift of Heart Health" CVD risk factor curriculum. To achieve this aim, we used a qualitative research design and a narrative inquiry approach. We used snowball sampling to recruit American Indian community stakeholders from the Oklahoma communities that participate in the Strong Heart Study, a study of CVD among American Indians. Throughout 2022, we conducted 3 focus group discussions, with 12 total participants. Two researchers transcribed the focus group audio recordings and conducted a content analysis to identify themes and patterns. American Indian participants provided recommendations regarding educational material format, topics, and incorporating culture into learning. On average, participants spent the highest percentage of time discussing themes related to nutrition (46%), followed by educational material format, risk factors, special groups, and new recommendations. In conclusion, this project was the first step in working with American Indian communities to update an educational intervention to address the persistent public health issue of CVD.