The Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) public health program is designed to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke among low-income, underinsured or uninsured women through clinical screenings, risk factor assessment, and lifestyle interventions. In this study, researchers assessed the effect of the Missouri WISEWOMAN program on the control of high blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.

Researchers calculated the proportion of participants with abnormal blood pressure, total cholesterol, or blood glucose levels at an initial screening visit who gained control at a follow-up visit 11 to 18 months later during a 7-year period. Many WISEWOMAN participants gained control of their blood pressure (41.2 percent), total cholesterol (24.7 percent), or blood glucose levels (50.0 percent). Women aged 45 to 64, women with less than a high school education, women who were obese in the initial visit, women who gained 7 percent or more of their weight, and women who did not participate in any lifestyle intervention sessions were significantly less likely to achieve total cholesterol control than their counterparts.

The Effect of the Missouri WISEWOMAN Program on Control of Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, and Elevated Blood Glucose Among Low-Income Women, Sherri G. Homan, RN, FNP, PhD; David G. McBride, PhD; Shumei Yun, MD, PhD, Prev Chronic Dis, DOI: 10.5888/pcd11.130338, published May 2014.