Cardiovascular risk reduction in rural minority communities: The bootheel heart health project

In this article the authors present a case study of Missouri's Bootheel Heart Health project. This community-based cardiovascular disease intervention targets the African American population in a rural six county area of southeastern Missouri. The authors review the planning process, the intervention model, development of the community coalitions, and the role of the local health department. They give examples of successful coalition activities, provide evaluation data, and review the lessons learned during the project's planning and intervention. This article documents the process of a successful risk reduction program and identifies a potential barrier to community empowerment in this model.