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Handouts: - English (165.4 K PDF) | Spanish (191.8 K PDF)

Activity 1

Heart Disease: What Are the Risks?

Before the Session

Two alternatives are offered for this activity: Heart Bingo and Healthy Heart Crossword. Decide which alternative you want to use and prepare materials as needed. (See “Before the Session” before each alternative.)

Begin the Session

(1) Catch up from last session; briefly review the material covered in the previous lesson. Ask participants: What have you tried from last week’s session, or what have you done differently from the last time we met? Congratulate participants on their successes and encourage them to try new skills or behaviors. (2) Today’s lesson: Briefly explain its purpose and some of the activities.

1. Tell participants: Today, we are going to talk about risk factors associated with heart disease. Ask participants if they can name any of these risk factors. Write them on the flipchart or writing board. Include the following points in the discussion.
   1. Several “risk factors” can increase your chances for developing heart disease. The more risk factors you have, the greater the chance that you could have a heart attack or stroke. Some of the risks can be reduced with better eating and activity habits, but others can not. Identify and manage as many of these risk factors as possible to keep your heart healthy.
   2. Several risk factors for heart disease cannot be changed. These risk factors include:

      Increasing age:

      As we get older, our risk for heart disease increases.

      Male gender:

      Men are more likely to have heart attacks than women, and they have attacks earlier in life. Even after menopause, when women’s risk for heart disease increases, the risk is not as great as for men.

      Heredity (including racial background):

      If one or both of your parents had heart disease, you will have a greater risk of developing heart disease. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than white people, so their risk is greater.

   3. Other factors that increase our risk for heart disease can be modified with changes in lifestyle habits. These include:

      Smoking:

      Smokers’ risk for heart attack is more than twice that of nonsmokers. Even if you don’t smoke, regular exposure to tobacco smoke from others (“secondhand smoke”) can increase your risk for heart disease.

      High blood cholesterol levels:

      The higher your cholesterol level, the greater your risk for heart disease and stroke.

      High blood pressure:

      High blood pressure forces the heart to work too hard. This can cause the heart to weaken over time. You can’t “feel” high blood pressure. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked.

      Physical inactivity:

      Regular brisk activity can help prevent heart disease. Talk with your doctor about activities that are right for you.

      Obesity and being overweight:

      People who have too much body fat are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke, even if they have no other risk factors. Losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds can help lower your risk for heart disease.

      Diabetes:

      If you develop diabetes, your risk for heart disease also increases.

   What about stress?

   Stress can add to the risk for heart disease, especially if we respond to stress in unhealthy ways. For example, people under stress may overeat, start or continue smoking, or become less active.

2. Tell participants that some risk factors can be modified with changes in lifestyle, but others cannot.

Alternative A: Heart Bingo

Before the Session

Five different bingo cards are included, numbered 1-5. Make copies of the individual bingo cards so that different cards can be used during a cycle of the game.

Write the numbers 1-24 on small pieces of paper and place them in a small container. Use the numbers to decide the order in which to read clues.

During the game, draw a number from the container. Then, read the clue corresponding to that number from the “Heart Bingo Clues” handout.

Distribute the “Heart Bingo Cards” and Bingo markers. Ask participants if they are familiar with the game “Bingo”. Explain that you will be playing a game very similar to Bingo. Tell participants that you will read a clue and then they will find the word(s) on the Bingo card that describes the clue. They will then place a Bingo marker on top of the square containing the clue, to mark the answer. The heart in the middle of the card is a “free” space. (Alternatively, a pen or pencil can be used to circle answers. However, multiple copies of the Bingo cards will be needed if this procedure is used.) Instruct participants to say “HEART!” when they have five answers in a straight line. Review answers with participants to reinforce concepts. The game can be repeated several times.

Alternative B: Healthy Heart Crossword

Before the Session

Make as many copies of the “Healthy Heart Crossword” and “Healthy Heart Crossword Answer Key” as you think you will need.

1. Begin the Session: Distribute the copies of the crossword. Ask participants if they are familiar with crossword puzzles. If participants are not familiar with crosswords, use the following explanation. Crossword puzzles include a list of clues that match hidden words in a grid. There are clues for words that go across as well as down the page. For each clue, try to guess the word that is described. Find the numbered square in the grid that matches the number beside the clue. Check to see if the word you guessed will fit in the grid, having one letter in each square. If the word fits, write it in the grid. Then, go to the next clue. Ask participants to take 5-10 minutes to fill out the crossword.
2. Ask participants if everyone is finished. Distribute the answer key and review with participants, to reinforce what was learned.

Conclusions

Tell participants: Some risk factors for heart disease cannot be changed. However, many risks can be reduced, by changing one’s lifestyle. Choosing foods with less fat and salt, staying physically active, avoiding smoking, and maintaining a healthy body weight can benefit heart health.

Check for Understanding and Behavior Change

Ask participants to state one idea that they learned and plan to use during the next week. Ask others if they also might plan to try that idea during the week. List the ideas on the flipchart or writing board.

Also ask participants: What actions can you take to keep your heart healthy?

Thank each participant for coming. Ask for final questions and discussion. Provide some information or teaser about the next session, to encourage attendance.

References and Resources

(1) American Heart Association website; (2) Healthy Lifestyle: The Cholesterol Low Down; (3) Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure: Prevention; (4) Facts about the DASH Eating Plan.