Be Wise: Implementing a Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Stroke Risk in Low-Income Midlife Women

Stroke is a leading cause of death for women, and midlife, low-income women are unlikely to appreciate their risk for stroke. The Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation program, administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, was developed for this population. The program offers screenings, referrals, and evidence-based lifestyle interventions targeting poor nutrition and physical inactivity. The goal of "Be Wise," the evidence-based lifestyle intervention developed for the Illinois Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation program, is for midlife women to develop healthier diet and physical-activity-related behaviors and, as a result, reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke. The goal of this project was to implement "BeWise" at a federally funded community health center serving a primarily Hispanic population. The project's director, a stroke program coordinator and clinical nurse specialist, for the area's advanced primary stroke center collaborated with the community health center's medical staff and registered dietitian in delivering the program.