Kimberly S McClane
Sentara College of Health Sciences, USA
Title: Changing the health of a nation: A multiphase health promotion community
Biography
Biography: Kimberly S McClane
Abstract
St. Kitts is a small developing black island in the West Indies. There was a large population of women with hypertension and diabetes; where cardiovascular disease was the third cause of Kittitian women’s death. It was projected to increase 60% from 2000 to 2010 in the Caribbean with associated diabetes. The International University of Nursing (IUON) conducted a research project in 2007, was initiated to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases in women employed in the local manufacturing plants. The purpose of choosing female participants was that they would influence the family unit regarding diet, exercise and other health issues. 372 participants were recruited from five manufacturing sites with approval of either the owner or the plant manager. The field team of this project included nursing faculty and nursing students from IUON. The framework was Pender’s Health Promotion Model and the WHO STEPwise chronic disease risk factor surveillance. Pre and post physiological parameters were obtained including blood pressure, random blood sugars, body mass index and the waist to hip ratio. Information concerning their age, literacy, cultural and marital information, dietary preparation and diet were also collected. The educational focus was on hypertension and associated complications, diabetes, My plate measurements, portions, salt, alcohol consumption, and smoking. The educational sessions were conducted once in a month at the plants. In 2013, there was a meeting with several participants to discuss how successful the study was, and how we could have had a bigger impression of the participants.