Adapting CHAP for the South Asian Community of York Region

Adapting the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) for the South Asian Community of York Region: Assessing volunteer participation and the gender and ethno-specific impacts

Researchers :

• Janusz Kaczorowski BA, MA, PhD | (Principal Investigator) Research Director and Professor, Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, University of Montreal.
• Tamara Daly Ph.D | (Principal Investigator) CIHR Research Chair in Gender, Work & Health Associate Professor, Faculty of Health, York University.
• Farah Ahmad, MBBS, MPH, PhD | Associate Professor, School of Health Policy and Management, York University.
• Ricardo Angeles MD, MPH, MHPEd, PhD | Assistant Professor – Adjunct, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University.
• Magali Girard PhD, MSc | Research Coordinator, CHUM Research Centre.
• Larry Chambers PhD, FACE, Hon FFPH (UK), FCAHS | (Collaborator) FCAHS Scientist and Past President (2001-2011), Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa.
• Tania Xerri | Director, Health Leadership and Learning Network, York University.
• Iffath Syed BSc, MPH, PhD (c)
• Vasanthi Srinivasan

Background :

This important project applies more than a decade’s worth of work done as part of the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) to the goal of reducing the impact of cardiovascular disease for York region’s South Asian community. Through a series of studies, CHAP has been shown to be an acceptable intervention to reduce participants’ blood pressure, encourage lifestyle changes and to optimize drug regimens.

Objective :

This project aims to extend its proven successes by refining its material and approaches to the York Region South Asian Community, to assess the voluntary model of program delivery, and to identify gender and ethno-specific impacts of the program.

Findings :

Pending.

Implications :

The success of this program could lead, as already seen in the caucasian population, to the reduction of participants’ blood pressure, their development of an healthy lifestyle and their drug regimens’ optimization, and by the meantime, to the reduction of the cardiovascular diseases in this population.