Awareness, knowledge, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and their correlates to coronary heart disease among working women in Singapore

ObjectivesThe objectives of the study were to investigate awareness, knowledge, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and their correlates to coronary heart disease (CHD) among working women in Singapore.BackgroundCHD is the leading cause of death for women globally, yet women are unaware of this or the associated risk factors that make them vulnerable to CHD.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study with a quota sample of 200 working women was conducted in Singapore. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, including the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire-2, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and a section on Awareness of CHD.ResultsParticipants demonstrated suboptimal awareness of CHD being the leading cause of death among women and the risk factors associated with morbidity. Healthy lifestyle behaviors were found to be affected by age, ethnicity, marital status, income status, presence of chronic diseases, and working groups.ConclusionHealth care providers should systematically evaluate women at risk for CHD and provide both gender-sensitive and age-specific education.