Doctoral Project Defense: Felipe Santoyo-Cuellar

Candidate: Felipe Santoyo-Cuellar

Major: Doctor of Nursing Practice

Advisor: Lois Wessel, D.N.P.

Title: Impact of a Spanish-Language Education Session on Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge Retention in the Adult Latinx Community

Heart disease remains a major cause of death worldwide, and is highly prevalent among Latinx populations, affecting 52.3% of adult men and 42.7% of adult women, in the United States due in part to healthcare disparities. To address this, it is important to study the effectiveness of heart disease education among Latinx adults to improve their understanding and application of knowledge. While printed materials are often used for patient education, they may not effectively meet the needs of all patient populations. This project aims to examine the impact of a Spanish-language cardiovascular disease education program on the adult Latinx community in Maricopa County, Arizona. The study will evaluate knowledge retention through pre- and post-education intervention tests and assess participant satisfaction through a survey. The project was presented to key stakeholders using the Rosswurm and Larrabee framework to ensure feasibility. The education session included three segments: cardiovascular disease information, interpretation of food labels, and how to modify traditional Latin cuisine in a heart healthy way. The pre- and post-test used the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Knowledge Level (CARRF-KL) Scale with 28 true or false questions. The satisfaction survey consisted of five questions using a Likert scale. A paired samples t-test was used to compare knowledge percentage correct pre- to post-education intervention. Percentage correct among the participants that completed the pre and post-test (n = 26) increased significantly from 87.0% (SD = 7.7) correct pre to 97.9% (SD = 3.4) correct post, with statistical significance, p < .001. The satisfaction survey (n = 29) displayed overall favorable results with the education session materials and presentation. Providing culturally and linguistically tailored education sessions in patients’ preferred languages can improve knowledge retention and promote understanding of health promotion in cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: Cardiovascular, Spanish-language, education, Latinx population, knowledge, health promotion, community, CARRF-KL, disease prevention.