Mosca Lori, Mochari Heidi, Christian Allison, Berra Kathy, Taubert Kathryn, Mills Thomas, Burdick Keisha Arrowood, Simpson Susan Lee
The New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA.
Circulation. 2006 Jan 31;113(4):525-34. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.588103.
There is growing awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death in women, but whether this greater awareness is associated with increased action by women to lower their personal or family's risk is unknown.
A nationally representative sample of 1008 women selected through random-digit dialing were given a standardized questionnaire about history of CVD/risk factors, awareness of leading cause of death, knowledge of healthy and personal levels of CVD risk factors, self-reported actions taken to reduce risk, and barriers to heart health. The rate of awareness of CVD as the leading cause of death has nearly doubled since 1997 (55% versus 30%) was significantly greater for whites compared with blacks and Hispanics (62% versus 38% and 34%, respectively) and was independently correlated with increased physical activity (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.83) and weight loss (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.02) in the previous year in logistic regression models. Fewer than half of the respondents were aware of healthy levels of risk factors. Awareness that personal level was not healthy was positively associated with action. Most women took steps to lower risk in family members and themselves. The most frequently cited barriers for heart health were confusion in the media (49%), the belief that health is determined by a higher power (44%), and caretaking responsibilities (36%).
General awareness of CVD risk among women is associated with preventive action. Educational interventions need to be targeted at racial/ethnic minority women.
心血管疾病（CVD）作为女性死亡的主要原因，人们对此的认识日益提高，但这种更高的认识是否与女性采取更多行动来降低自身或家庭风险相关尚不清楚。
通过随机数字拨号选取了1008名具有全国代表性的女性样本，给予她们一份关于心血管疾病病史/风险因素、对主要死因的认识、对心血管疾病风险因素健康水平和个人水平的了解、自我报告的降低风险措施以及心脏健康障碍的标准化问卷。自1997年以来，将心血管疾病视为主要死因的知晓率几乎翻了一番（55%对30%），白人的知晓率显著高于黑人和西班牙裔（分别为62%对38%和34%），在逻辑回归模型中，这与前一年增加体育活动（优势比，1.35；95%可信区间，1.00至1.83）和体重减轻（优势比，1.47；95%可信区间，1.14至2.02）独立相关。不到一半的受访者知道风险因素的健康水平。意识到个人水平不健康与行动呈正相关。大多数女性采取措施降低家庭成员和自己的风险。最常被提及的心脏健康障碍是媒体信息混乱（49%）、认为健康由更高力量决定（44%）以及照顾责任（36%）。
女性对心血管疾病风险的总体认识与预防行动相关。教育干预需要针对少数族裔女性。
