RecruitingACTRN12618000581268

Yeddung Gauar (Good Heart): Feasibility of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female Cardiac Rehabilitation program delivered in a non-Indigenous health service.


Sponsor

Dr Nicole Freene

Enrollment

20 participants

Start Date

Jun 14, 2018

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

Summary

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is diagnosed in almost half of Indigenous Australians 55 years and over, and is the largest cause of premature deaths in this population. It is widely recognised that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) decreases mortality, improves risk profiles, decreases hospital admissions, increases medication adherence and improves quality of life in those diagnosed with CVD. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a female only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CR program in a non-Indigenous health service setting. It will evaluate both the combination of improving access to a CR service; and improving health workforce cultural safety through implementation of an 18-week program of weekly CR sessions consisting of 1 hour of exercise and 30 minutes of education delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including an Indigenous Health Worker. Data will be collected from participants at baseline, and at every sixth session attended. Assessment of health professionals’ cultural awareness and safety pre and post program will be evaluated via a questionnaire. Feasibility measures will include recruitment of participants, adherence to the CR program, drop-out rates and Qualitative data collection from both participants and health professionals will be analysed at the end of the program.


Eligibility

Sex: FemalesMin Age: 18 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is testing the feasibility of a cardiac rehabilitation program designed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, delivered within a non-Indigenous health service setting. Cardiovascular disease affects almost half of Indigenous Australians over 55, yet Indigenous Australians face significant barriers to accessing rehabilitation services, including cultural factors, distance, and a lack of culturally safe care. The 18-week program — called Yeddung Gauar (Good Heart) — combines weekly exercise sessions and health education, delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes an Indigenous Health Worker. The study will assess how many women can be recruited, how well they engage with the program, and whether their cardiovascular fitness and risk factors improve. Health professionals' cultural awareness will also be measured. You may be eligible if you are a female Indigenous Australian aged 18 or older with stable heart disease, a history of heart attack, or a medium-to-high risk of developing heart disease in the next 5 years. Women with severe heart failure, uncontrolled arrhythmias, severe lung disease, uncontrolled diabetes, or who cannot perform a walking test are not eligible.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

An 18-week mixed methods feasibility study will be conducted, with weekly CR sessions consisting of 1 hour of exercise and 30 minutes of education delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including an I

An 18-week mixed methods feasibility study will be conducted, with weekly CR sessions consisting of 1 hour of exercise and 30 minutes of education delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including an Indigenous Health Worker. Participants will be recruited from a variety of settings, with the aim to recruit a minimum of 20 participants. Attendance will be flexible, aiming for participants to complete 6 sessions and attendance checklists will be completed for every session. Participants will be re-assessed after every sixth session attended and can continue attending the program following this, if desired. The Aboriginal Community Bus will be utilised to bring participants to and from the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health Clinics. This will be coordinated by the projects Research Assistant and the IHW. The main aim of the exercise sessions will be to increase cardiovascular fitness by exercising large muscle groups. Sessions will be run as a group circuit class, supervised by a physiotherapist and/or exercise physiologist and will be individually tailored for each of the participants based on pre assessments. The exercise sessions will include a 10 minute warm up and cool down and 40 minutes of aerobic exercise including upper limb resistance excises, lower limb strengthening, overground/treadmill walking and stationary cycling. Intensity of the exercise will be assessed via the Borg RPE Scale. Members of the multi-disciplinary team will conduct educational lectures to increase participant knowledge of their CVD condition and increase self-management skills for risk factor management. The education sessions/lectures will cover; cardiac anatomy and physiology; cardiac risk factors, modification and management of symptoms; how to deal with stress, anxiety and depression; cardiac medications; benefits of exercise and physical activity; and nutrition advice. This information will be delivered in a flexible, nonthreatening manner using Indigenous resources from the National Heart Foundation.


Locations(2)

The Canberra Hospital - Garran

ACT,NSW, Australia

Calvary Public Hospital ACT - Bruce

ACT,NSW, Australia

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ACTRN12618000581268


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