Other Titles
Primary Care Dietary Program for Risk Reduction of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in South Asian Americans [Poster Title]
Abstract
Background: South Asian Americans (SAAs) living in the United States face a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)-related events compared to their European counterparts due to genetic, epigenetic, and lifestyle factors. While community-level lifestyle and dietary interventions show promise in ASCVD risk reduction, specific dietary guidelines for SAAs are not established in primary care settings. This quality improvement project aimed to assess the impact of SAA-specific dietary counseling on weight and self-perceptions of diet and health quality, with the goal of improving eating habits and lowering ASCVD risk.
Methodology: Data were collected pre- and post-intervention through surveys and physical measurements over a three-month period to evaluate changes in self-perceptions of diet and health quality. Macronutrient adherence was tracked using the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour food recall (ASA24). Initial data were collected during the first counseling session, with follow-ups conducted by phone.
Interventions: Six South Asian women received nutrition counseling during one clinic visit. Counseling addressed heart-healthy dietary recommendations, food swaps using ethnic foods, macronutrient goals, strategies for food measurement, and visual aids for healthy plates. Participants were also offered virtual biweekly check-ins to address questions regarding dietary strategy implementation.
Results: Dietary adherence averaged 6.33 out of 10 (SD = 0.580). The mean difference in self-rated diet quality was 0.5 (p=0.317), and general health showed no change (p=1.000). The average weight loss was 3.7 lbs. (p=0.180). All participants who completed at least one 24-hour food recall met their protein goals, however none met recommended fat and carbohydrate intake ranges. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess changes in pre- and post-intervention metrics.
Discussion and Recommendations: This project has shown the potential for advanced practice nurses to integrate SAA-specific diet education for ASCVD reduction into primary care practices. Recommendations for practice include culturally specific dietary education and counseling for all SAA patients. Providers should incorporate culturally specific dietary guidance and be equipped with resources for ethnic food alternatives and accessible nutrition monitoring methods to support ASCVD prevention in SAAs. Further research is needed to explore strategies for ASCVD reduction in this high-risk group.
Notes
References: Franke, J., Jacobsen, A., Blumenthal, R., Patel, J. (2021). Quantifying and understanding the higher risk of ASCVD among south asians. American College of Cardiology. https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2021/09/13/14/42/quantifying-and-understanding-the-higher-risk-of-ascvd-among-south-asians.
Kandula, N. R., Bernard, V., Dave, S., Ehrlich-Jones, L., Counard, C., Shah, N., Kumar, S., Rao, G., Ackermann, R., Spring, B., & Siddique, J. (2020). The South Asian Healthy Lifestyle Intervention (SAHELI) trial: Protocol for a mixed-methods, hybrid effectiveness implementation trial for reducing cardiovascular risk in South Asians in the United States. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 92, 105995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2020.105995.
Kandula, N. R., Dave, S., De Chavez, P. J., Bharucha, H., Patel, Y., Seguil, P., Kumar, S., Baker., Spring, B., Siddique, J. (2015). Translating a heart disease lifestyle intervention into the community: the south Asian Heart Lifestyle Intervention (SAHELI) study; a randomized control trial. BMC Public Health, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2401-2.
Koneru, C., Sikand, G., & Agarwala, A. (2023). Optimizing Dietary Patterns and Lifestyle to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk Among South Asian Individuals. The American journal of Cardiology, 203, 113–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2023.06.078.
Patel, A. P., Wang, M., Kartoun, U., Ng, K., Khera, A. V. (2021). Quantifying and Understanding the Higher Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among South Asian Individuals. Circulation, 144, 410-422. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.052430.
Sigma Membership
Eta Gamma
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Primary Care, Interprofessional or Interdisciplinary, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Cardiovascular Disease, South Asian Americans
Recommended Citation
Wallooppillai, Saranya Elena and Giles, Amy, "Primary Care Dietary Program to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in South Asian Americans" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 49.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/49
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Primary Care Dietary Program to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in South Asian Americans
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background: South Asian Americans (SAAs) living in the United States face a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)-related events compared to their European counterparts due to genetic, epigenetic, and lifestyle factors. While community-level lifestyle and dietary interventions show promise in ASCVD risk reduction, specific dietary guidelines for SAAs are not established in primary care settings. This quality improvement project aimed to assess the impact of SAA-specific dietary counseling on weight and self-perceptions of diet and health quality, with the goal of improving eating habits and lowering ASCVD risk.
Methodology: Data were collected pre- and post-intervention through surveys and physical measurements over a three-month period to evaluate changes in self-perceptions of diet and health quality. Macronutrient adherence was tracked using the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour food recall (ASA24). Initial data were collected during the first counseling session, with follow-ups conducted by phone.
Interventions: Six South Asian women received nutrition counseling during one clinic visit. Counseling addressed heart-healthy dietary recommendations, food swaps using ethnic foods, macronutrient goals, strategies for food measurement, and visual aids for healthy plates. Participants were also offered virtual biweekly check-ins to address questions regarding dietary strategy implementation.
Results: Dietary adherence averaged 6.33 out of 10 (SD = 0.580). The mean difference in self-rated diet quality was 0.5 (p=0.317), and general health showed no change (p=1.000). The average weight loss was 3.7 lbs. (p=0.180). All participants who completed at least one 24-hour food recall met their protein goals, however none met recommended fat and carbohydrate intake ranges. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess changes in pre- and post-intervention metrics.
Discussion and Recommendations: This project has shown the potential for advanced practice nurses to integrate SAA-specific diet education for ASCVD reduction into primary care practices. Recommendations for practice include culturally specific dietary education and counseling for all SAA patients. Providers should incorporate culturally specific dietary guidance and be equipped with resources for ethnic food alternatives and accessible nutrition monitoring methods to support ASCVD prevention in SAAs. Further research is needed to explore strategies for ASCVD reduction in this high-risk group.
Description
South Asian Americans (SAAs) face elevated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk due to genetic and lifestyle factors, yet culturally specific dietary guidelines are limited in primary care. This quality improvement project demonstrated the potential of SAA-specific diet counseling to improve eating habits and achieve modest weight loss, highlighting the value of integrating culturally-tailored nutrition education into primary care for ASCVD prevention in high-risk ethnic groups.