Date of Conferral
7-10-2024
Date of Award
July 2024
Degree
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
School
Health Education and Promotion
Advisor
John Saindon
Abstract
Heart disease is a serious health condition and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. African American women have the highest mortality rate from heart disease compared to any other racial group. The purpose of this research study was to assess knowledge of heart disease, by investigating two constructs of the health belief model: perceived susceptibility and perceived severity. A correlation design was used to analyze survey data from African American women from age 40 to 55 from the Atlanta, Georgia area. The participants completed the assessments on survey monkey. The assessments included a demographic questionnaire, the Health Belief Related to Cardiovascular Disease Scale and the Comprehensive Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire. The sample size was 51 and a correlational analysis was used. The results suggested that there were no significant findings within the constructs of perceived susceptibility and knowledge. It is recommended that additional research be conducted to understand the linkages between perceived susceptibility and heart disease. However, there was a significant difference at the .05 level for the construct perceived severity and knowledge which suggested that African American women has knowledge on the severity of heart disease. The potential implications for social change can promote health education and promotion by increasing awareness in heart disease of African American women with the hopes to decrease the mortality rate.
Recommended Citation
hudson, erica, "Understanding the Perception of Risk for Heart Disease in African American Women" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16384.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16384
