Skills-based Education and New Technology Reduces Heart Disease in African American Women

“I was so frustrated at seeing young African American women who had already had a heart attack before they were 50,” said Dr. Jo-Ann Eastwood, a nurse practitioner and associate professor at the UCLA School of Nursing. “Their illness hadn’t been picked up early enough. I asked myself: how can I help these women”

Working with three African American churches in Southern California, Eastwood partnered with the UCLA Wireless Health Institute to create a mobile app. She gave Android smartphones to 40 African-American women between the ages of 25 and 45 who had at least two risk factors for early-onset heart disease. The phones, which could only text, were loaded with an app Eastwood had configured that posed questions such as “Did you eat six servings of fruit today?” and “Did you get at least 30 minutes of activity today?”

Study participants wore the smartphones whenever they were awake. They also had to measure their blood pressure on Sunday nights, using Bluetooth-equipped blood-pressure cuffs that sent readings from the phones, which then streamed real time data to the researchers.

Preliminary results from the study have been promising. Compared with a control group, the church women had significant improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, lower levels of anxiety and stress and improved eating and exercise habits. “They made lifestyle changes that are very important for heart health,” Eastwood said, adding that many participants commented the program had made them and their families healthier.