Heart Disease Awareness Survey of Black and White Young Adult Men and Women

Background Awareness that heart disease is the leading cause of death declined from 65% in 2009 to 44% in 2019 among women over the age of 25. It is unclear whether this decline has disproportionately affected Black women who have a higher risk of heart disease than White women.Purpose This study examined the possible race and sex differences among young adults regarding their awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death, their concern about developing heart disease, and their motivation to improve their heart health and reduce their heart disease risk.Methods A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 404 young adults who were Black or White and aged 20 to 39.Results Racial disparities were not reflected in awareness or motivation to improve heart health or reduce disease risk. However, Black respondents reported lower levels of concern about developing heart disease compared to White respondents.Discussion A lack of concern may contribute to worse heart health among young Black women. This is alarming given that this population is disproportionately affected by heart disease.Translation to Health Education Practice Health educators need to tailor messaging and advocacy strategies to raise Black women’s awareness of their heart disease risk.