Cardiovascular disease knowledge and weight perception among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women.

Background: While knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has improved, it remains low among minority women, thereby contributing to disparities and posing health challenges. Moreover, substantial numbers of women do not recognize that excess weight imposes CVD risk and increases morbidity and decreases survival. In order to test the hypothesis that CVD knowledge is reduced among overweight and obese women, CVD knowledge and weight perception was compared among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women.

Women at risk for cardiovascular disease lack knowledge of heart attack symptoms.

Background: It is not known whether cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk level is related to knowledge of the leading cause of death of women or heart attack symptoms.

Hypothesis: Women with higher CVD risk estimated by Framingham Risk Score (FRS) or metabolic syndrome (MS) have lower CVD knowledge.

Methods: Women visiting primary care clinics completed a standardized behavioral risk questionnaire.

Relationship between cardiovascular disease knowledge and race/ethnicity, education, and weight status.

Background: Inadequate cardiovascular disease (CVD) knowledge has been cited to account for the imperfect decline in CVD among women over the last 2 decades.

Hypothesis: Due to concerns that at-risk women might not know the leading cause of death or symptoms of a heart attack, our goal was to assess the relationship between CVD knowledge race/ethnicity, education, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: Using a structured questionnaire, CVD knowledge, socio-demographics, risk factors, and BMI were evaluated in 681 women.