West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships/Area Health Education CentersWest Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships/Area Health Education Centers

cardiac service learning project

Coronary Artery Risk and Detection in

Appalachian Communities (CARDIAC) Screening

 

Description of the Project:

CARDIAC (Coronary Artery Risk Detection In Appalachian Communities) is a research project being conducted in an attempt to decrease the incidence and severity of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and stroke in West Virginia.  The Project is supervised by William A. Neal, M.D., a children's heart specialist on the faculty of West Virginia University, Department of Pediatrics.

 

Purpose of the Study

 

The purpose of this study is to learn more about heart disease risk factors in children as a means of determining which children and their parents are at risk of developing early or premature coronary artery disease. 

 

What we expect from you at the screening

©     Blood Pressure Checks

©     Calculation of child's BMI (body mass index)

©     Checking child's height

©     Checking child's weight

©     Checking the skin on the back of the child's neck for Acanthosis Nigricans (which is an indicator for risk of adult onset diabetes)

 

Healthy People 2010 Objectives Directly Addressed through this Project:

View the WV Healthy People 2010 Website with all objectives by clicking here

Target Audience:

·5th Graders and Parents

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this service-learning project, I will be able to:

  1. Participate in a screening activity for 5th grade students that will allow me to learn about interaction with children, and specific clinical competencies such as BMI calculation, blood pressure, height/weight, and cardiovascular risk indicators.
  2. Describe how this project fits into West Virginia's public health agenda as articulated in the WV Healthy People 2010 Objectives

ASSIGNMENT

Review the following questions and choose 3 questions, or come up with your own question you are interested in exploring more about while participating in this project.

  1. What is the correct way to tabulate body mass index (BMI)?
  2. What are some of the best ways to interact with elementary age children about health issues?
  3. How do I become competent in blood pressure readings of children?
  4. What is Acanthosis Nigracans and how can I become competent in identifying this?
  5. What types of interventions are available to schools that participate in CARDIAC screenings?
  6. What types of physical activity to children participate in while at school?
  7. Are dental issues a factor during CARDIAC screenings?

Click here to choose and submit your questions.

Once you have completed your service-learning project, return to the module and click here to complete your reflection exercise.