OCCHA: Get involved in heart health

The Hispanic group seeks donations to keep its heart health-care program going.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana is continuing its efforts to get more Hispanics involved in heart care and other health screenings.

Since 2007, OCCHA has been educating the Hispanic community about the risk factors of heart disease an how to prevent them, using the “Salud Para su Corazon” (“Health for Your Heart”) curriculum, said Diane Morales DeJesus, health and nutrition coordinator for OCCHA.

The heart-health education course and materials were developed by the National Council of La Raza and supported financially with a grant from the MetLife Foundation, which she said is expiring.

DeJesus, a licensed, certified dietitian, said OCCHA is seeking donations from individuals, organizations and foundations to keep the health-care program going.

She said the 90-minute educational program was presented to some 420 people in 2008, and this year the agency aims to reach 200 to 250 Hispanics. She said the number reached is down because the number of outreach personnel was reduced from eight to five.

Outreach workers are trained on the heart-health curriculum and then they go into the community to teach the curriculum. “They go into people’s homes and churches to spread the word. They teach laypeople in their language about heart health,” she said.

Topics include heart structure and function, risk factors of heart disease and what to do to prevent those risk factors. Also, OCCHA offers food demonstrations that reinforce low fat/healthy cooking, DeJesus said.

For more information regarding the heart program or upcoming health programs and activities, contact DeJesus at OCCHA at (330) 781-1808.

OCCHA, 3660 Shirley Road, is in its 37th year in Mahoning County serving the Hispanic and general community.

Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana American outreach workers teach laypeople in their language about heart health and the risk factors of heart disease. Heart health-risk factors include:

Being over age 45 for men and over age 55 for women.

Having a family history of heart disease.

Having high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Being overweight and obese.

Having diabetes.

Lack of physical activity.

Source: MetLife Foundation