Outcomes of a Pilot Intervention Study for Young Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Based on Their Family History.
Christopher C Imes, Cynthia M Dougherty, Frances Marcus Lewis and 1 others
PMID 27518372WHAT IT FOUND
In 15 young adults with family heart disease history, a two-session verified family history, lab results, risk information, and counseling package increased knowledge.
Perceived risk and intentions increased, but the authors said these changes were not clear enough after adjustment.
Key findings
01Heart disease knowledge increased significantly, with seven participants improving and eight showing no change.
02Perceived lifetime CVD risk increased in most participants, but the change was not significant after adjustment.
03Participants reported higher intention to exercise and eat a healthy diet, but neither change was significant after adjustment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 15 participants were studied, and all came from one university even though two universities were used for recruitment. The sample was mostly female (13 of 15) and Caucasian (10 of 15), so it does not represent many other groups. There was no control group or random allocation, so changes could be due to time, repeated testing, or expectations. Outcomes were short-term knowledge, perceived risk, and intention, not actual diet, activity, or cardiovascular events. Perceived risk and intention changes were not significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The authors said the study was underpowered.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this intervention lowers cardiovascular disease risk or changes behavior. The study had no control group, only 15 participants, and measured knowledge, perceived risk, and intention, not actual lifestyle change or disease outcomes.