Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
Lifestyle, Culture, and Cardiovascular Prevention: South Asian Women’s Perspectives on a Mediterranean Lifestyle Approach
Yamini Bhatt
Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada
Purpose: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality globally and in Canada. South Asian (SA) immigrant women experience disproportionately high CVD risk due to biological predispositions, reproductive health factors, and sociocultural constraints shaping lifestyle practices. Despite strong evidence supporting lifestyle-based prevention, culturally tailored interventions for this population remain limited. The Mediterranean lifestyle (MEDLIFE) has demonstrated cardioprotective benefits. However, its acceptability within immigrant cultural contexts requires further exploration. This study examines the acceptability of a culturally tailored MEDLIFE among SA immigrant women in Canada and explores how health beliefs influence adoption of health-enhancing behaviors.
Methods: This qualitative study is part of a larger convergent mixed-methods doctoral project. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with SA immigrant women aged 18 years and older. The interview guide is informed by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability and the Health Belief Model to explore perceptions of cardiovascular risk, beliefs about lifestyle modification, and perceived barriers and facilitators to adopting MEDLIFE components, including physical activity. Interviews are audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: The analysis identifies themes related to perceptions of cardiovascular risk, cultural understandings of healthy lifestyles, and the social contexts shaping engagement in health-enhancing behaviors. Findings highlight key facilitators and barriers influencing the integration of MEDLIFE practices in daily life.
Conclusions:
Understanding cultural and social influences on lifestyle adoption can inform the design of culturally responsive health promotion strategies that support sustainable engagement in health-enhancing physical activity and cardiovascular disease prevention.
