skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Kennedy space center cardiovascular disease risk reduction program evaluation

Original Research

(2197) Views  (575) Full article downloads

Authors: Kristine S Calderon, Charles Smallwood, David A Tipton

Published Date May 2008 Volume 2008:4(2) Pages 421 - 426
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S2475

Kristine S Calderon1, Charles Smallwood1, David A Tipton2

1Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health Services, Comprehensive Health Services, Inc., Kennedy Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA; 2Aerospace Medicine and Occupational Health Branch, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Abstract: This program evaluation examined the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Reduction Program which aims to identify CVD risk factors and reduce these risk factors through health education phone counseling. High risk participants (those having two or more elevated lipid values) are identified from monthly voluntary CVD screenings and counseled. Phone counseling consists of reviewing lab values with the participant, discussing dietary fat intake frequency using an intake questionnaire, and promoting the increase in exercise frequency. The participants are followed-up at two-months and five-months for relevant metrics including blood pressure, weight, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, dietary fat intake, and exercise frequency. Data for three years of the KSC CVD Program included 366 participants, average age of 49 years, 75% male, and 25% female. For those with complete two and five month follow-up data, significant baseline to two-month follow-up comparisons included decreases in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.03); diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.002); total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and dietary fat intake (all three at p < 0.0001) as well as a significant increase in exercise frequency (p = 0.04). Significant baseline to five-month follow-up comparisons included decreases in triglycerides (p = 0.05); and total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and dietary intake (all three at p < 0.0001). These program evaluation results indicate that providing brief phone health education counseling and information at the worksite to high risk CVD participants may impact CVD risk factors.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease, counseling, worksite health, health education








Readers of this article also read:

Exacerbation rate, health status and mortality in COPD – a review of potential interventions
Berberine: metabolic and cardiovascular effects in preclinical and clinical trials
Information technology in pharmacovigilance: Benefits, challenges, and future directions from industry perspectives
Frequency of anti-glycoprotein Ia/IIa (anti-HPA-5b,-5a) and anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (anti-HPA-1a,-3a,-4a) alloantibodies in multiparous women of African descent
Health literacy and health seeking behavior among older men in a middle-income nation
Occupational safety among dental health-care workers
Concordance, compliance, preference or adherence
Solid self-nanoemulsifying cyclosporin A pellets prepared by fluid-bed coating: preparation, characterization and in vitro redispersibility
Editorial
Comparison of two treatments for coxarthrosis: local hyperthermia versus radio electric asymmetrical brain stimulation
  • Join ISVH

    Be part of the World's leading experts in vascular health by joining the International Society of Vascular Health (ISVH)

  • Testimonials

    "... I was impressed at the rapidity of publication from submission to final acceptance." Dr Edwin Thrower, PhD, Yale University