Results of language for health: cardiovascular disease nutrition education for Latino English-as-a-second-language students

Health Educ Behav. 2000 Feb;27(1):50-63. doi: 10.1177/109019810002700106.

Abstract

This report presents the final evaluation of Language for Health, part of a federally funded initiative to develop heart disease prevention interventions for low-literate populations. Language for Health specifically intervened with recent immigrants enrolled in English-as-a-second-language classes, incorporating nutritional behavior change materials into English-language curricula. Latino participants (n = 732) were exposed to either nutrition education or stress management classes (attention-placebo group) designed specifically for low-English-literate adults. Participants completed physiological measures assessing blood pressure, total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, waist and hip circumference, and weight. Self-report surveys were administered to collect students' nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, self-reported fat avoidance behaviors, and demographic information. Data were collected at baseline, 3-month posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Results indicated long-term effects of the intervention on nutrition knowledge and fat avoidance, yet only short-term effects on total cholesterol:HDL ratio and systolic blood pressure.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • California
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / ethnology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Communication Barriers
  • Dietary Fats
  • Educational Status*
  • Emigration and Immigration*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Education / organization & administration*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Hispanic or Latino / education*
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology
  • Humans
  • Hypercholesterolemia / blood
  • Hypercholesterolemia / complications
  • Hypercholesterolemia / prevention & control
  • Hypertension / complications
  • Hypertension / diagnosis
  • Hypertension / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Nutritional Sciences / education*
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Obesity / prevention & control
  • Program Evaluation
  • Stress, Psychological / complications
  • Stress, Psychological / prevention & control
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

  • Dietary Fats