Fighting Heart Disease Among Black Women in Brooklyn
Monday, March 28th, 2011NEW YORK, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health has launched a major initiative to improve the cardiovascular health of African American and Afro-Caribbean women in Brooklyn, NY. The initiative, Heart of a Woman, is a central component of the Institute’s community-based health programming in 2011 and is supported by a leadership grant of $190,000 from the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation.
Carried out in partnership with customers and stylists in eight hair salons, Heart of a Woman will increase awareness of Black women’s risk of cardiovascular disease and how even simple changes in diet and exercise can reduce their risk. Heart of a Woman will train salon stylists to serve as lay health advocates for their customers, offering fact-based information about heart health and encouragement. The program will target the communities of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, East Flatbush and Flatbush.
“Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of American women – and African American women are at greater risk than any other ethnic group,” said Mark Wagar, President and CEO, Empire BlueCross BlueShield. “The Arthur Ashe Institute is taking a highly innovative, people-to-people approach to help spread the word to women, so they can better protect themselves against the ravages of heart disease.”
In previous salon-based cardiovascular programs, the Institute found that 80 percent of salon customers did not identify red meats and fried foods as sources of cholesterol and 46 percent could not suggest increased exercise or ways to reduce cardiovascular health risks.
