A Program to Reduce Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease in the Czech Republic: Design and Methods of the Healthy Dubec Project

Abstract

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality rates in the Czech Republic are among the highest in the industrialized world. Due to the substantial burden CVD plays on the health and well being of the Czech society, a variety of health promotion/disease management strategies to reduce CVD risk need to be designed and implemented. A project that combined community-based health education programs designed to address pervasive perceptions and cultural traditions that influence lifestyle factors, with secondary and tertiary prevention clinical strategies to aggressively treat high-risk individuals was recently conducted in Dubec, a small Czech community. This article describes the methods used in this project (i.e., the Healthy Dubec Project) which took American-based technology and experiences in community risk reduction methods and clinical management strategies for high risk patients and adapted them to fit the Czech people and their attitudes about CVD risk behaviors.