Community-Responsive Interventions to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk In American Indians and Alaska Natives

Project Period: 9/27/2005 - 6/30/2011
Contact: Dr. Bill Riley

This program funds studies in American Indian/Alaskan Native populations to test the effectiveness of behavioral interventions to promote adoption of healthy lifestyles and/or improve behaviors related to heart disease and stroke risk, such as healthy diet, regular physical activity, smoking cessation, and stress management. A central feature is to test culturally appropriate interventions that could be incorporated into clinical programs or delivered through public-health approaches in Native communities.

The targeted behaviors and lifestyles are known to increase biological cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, glucose intolerance, and diabetes, thereby increasing risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

One study was funded in FY 2005 to conduct a community-partnered randomized study to prevent early childhood overweight in American Indian (AI) children, using a community-wide intervention coupled with individualized family counseling to improve nutrition and physical activity in infants and toddlers.

Four new awards were made in FY 2006 in response to the reissued RFA. These randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will test the effects of: 1) a remote, home-based care intervention to improve medication adherence and behavioral approaches for adult AI at high-risk for CVD to manage their hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes; 2) a mentored home-visiting and group support intervention to improve nutrition and physical activity levels in AI preschoolers and their family care-givers; 3) a behavioral intervention program to achieve spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical balance to improve physical activity, diet, and weight; and 4) a motivational CVD risk reduction intervention targeting physical activity levels and food habits among adult AI at high-risk for CVD.

Last Updated March 2011