Factors Influencing Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Health Perception Among Kentuckians Living in Appalachia

In this study, the relationship among gender, CVD risk factors, and health perception in Appalachians from Kentucky was explored. Methods: This cross-sectional secondary analysis is from a randomized controlled trial on CVD health in rural Kentucky. To assess gender differences in smoking history, χ2 was used. Independent t tests compared the mean between participants 50 years or younger and those older than 50 years with differences in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1C, total cholesterol, and physical activity. A multivariate linear regression analysis assessed variables predicting the outcome of health perception. Results: Most participants had a mean BMI of 33 kg/m2 and 94.3% of men used smokeless tobacco compared to 5.7% of the women. Differences existed between gender and current, ever, or never smoked (P
Source: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: Feature Article/Online Only Source Type: research