Decreasing disparity in cholesterol screening in minority communities-findings from the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health 2010

Background Highly controlled research projects demonstrated success in preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases. Community-based programs have yet to demonstrate significant influence. Data on large-scale community-level interventions targeting minority communities are limited. The aim of this study is to measure the impact of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health ( REACH 2010) project, a community-based intervention to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in blood cholesterol screening in minority communities. Methods Annual survey data from 2001 to 2006 were gathered in 22 communities. Trends in the prevalence of age-standardised blood cholesterol screening were examined for four racial/ethnic groups ( black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian/Alaska Native), stratified by education level, and compared with national data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Results The prevalence of cholesterol screening increased among persons in black, Hispanic and Asian REACH communities (p<0.001), whereas prevalence decreased in the total US and Hispanic populations (p<0.001) and remained similar among blacks and Asians nationwide. The relative disparity between the total US population and most REACH communities decreased (p<0.05). Relative disparity in cholesterol screening related to education level decreased (p<0.05) within REACH communities, whereas relative disparity related to education level nationwide remained similar in blacks and increased (p<0.001) in Hispanics. Conclusion The REACH project decreased racial and ethnic disparities in cholesterol screening between REACH communities and the total US population, as well as disparities related to education level within REACH communities.