The Women's Heart Foundation (WHF) is a nonprofit which designs and implements

wellness programs focused on the prevention of womens heart health issues. The WHF is a

global movement mobilizing world health organizations, government, and academic and science

communities to bring about social change. The goals of the organization involve educating

women and health professionals concerning heart disease, advocating for research, and

supporting women as caregivers.

The following research we know about the prevalence of heart health issues in women:

Worldwide, 8.6 million women die from heart disease each year, accounting for 33% of

all deaths in women. Three million women die from stroke each year.

8 million women in the US are currently living with heart disease

435,000 American women have heart attacks annually; 83,000 are under age 65; 35,000

are under 55. The average age: 70.4.

267,000 women die each year from heart attacks, killing six times as many women as

breast cancer. Another 31, 837 women die each year of congestive heart failure,

representing 62.6% of all heart failure deaths (The Womens Heart Foundation, 2017).

Minorities face more issues with heart related diseases. Nearly 25% of white women,

while over one third of African-American and Mexican women are obese and obesity leads to

death due to hypertension, stroke and coronary disease (The Womens Heart Foundation, 2017).

The age-adjusted rate of heart disease for African American women is 72% higher than for white

women, while African-American women ages 55-64 are twice as likely as white women to suffer

from a heart attack and 35% more prone to have coronary disease (Arkansas Heart Hospital,

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2017). African-American women are undereducated about the prevalence of heart disease, as

only 20% believes she is personally at risk, and only 36% know that heart disease is their

greatest health risk (American Heart Association, 2017).

The Womens Heart Foundation should launch a strategic communication campaign

about womens heart health issues with the following goals:

1. Inform all women, with a particular focus on minority women age 55-64, about the

prevalence of womens heart health issues.

2. Provide support to female caregivers

3. Advocate for research related to womens heart health issues

4. Provide resources, support, and collaborate with health professionals working in this area

including: health organizations, government, academic, professional health and science

communities.

The main publics in the campaign will be:

1. All women, but in particular, minority women age 55-64

2. Female caregivers to women with heart health issues

3. Medical professionals and researchers

4. World health organizations, government, academic, professional health, and science

communities.

For the most part, minority women are under-informed about heart disease. This strategic

campaign aims to provide educational resources, while helping to educate and empower

these women to take better care of themselves and prevent heart disease.

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 References

Womens Heart Foundation (2017).

http://www.womensheart.org/content/About_WHF/about_whf.asp

Arkansas Heart Hospital (2017). http://arheart.com/heart-health/women-and-heart-disease/

American Heart Association (2017).

https://www.goredforwomen.org/about-heart-

disease/facts_about_heart_disease_in_women-sub-category/african-american-women/