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Overview
• Data on women and heart disease
• Strategic directions for the Heart Foundation’s work
• Go Red for Women 2012 objectives
• Go Red for Women campaign plans
• How you can be involved
Causes of Death 2006
Australian Institute of Welfare
Fem ales
Condition
Coronary heart disease
Cerebrovascular diseases
Other heart diseases
Dementia and related disorders
Lung cancer
Female breast cancer
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Unknow n primary site cancers
Diabetes
Colorectal cancer
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
Num ber
10,000
12,000
14,000
What was known in 2007
•Heart disease was the leading cause of death in Australian women
•Risk factors similar between men and women
•Had a disproportionate effect on some groups – low socio economic
groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
•Overseas research indicated heart disease was under diagnosed,
under managed and under researched
•Early signs from the American Heart Association were that their Go
Red for Women campaign was starting to take effect in raising
awareness
What wasn’t known?
What impact CVD was having on
Australian women in terms of
prevention, diagnosis and
management?
What were Australian women’s
knowledge and beliefs around heart
disease?
What contribution the Heart
Foundation and other organisations
could make to this important public
health issue?
Heart Foundation’s response
1. Introduced the Go Red for Women campaign into
Australia
2. Commissioned a first ever Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare report on heart disease in Australian women
3. Committed to regularly undertake surveys with women
to monitor their knowledge and awareness
4. Developed resources to assist women better
understand their personal risk of heart disease
Women and Heart Disease - facts
• About 10,400 women die of heart disease
each year [i]
• Heart disease is the number one killer of
women in Australia and kills almost four
times as many women as breast cancer [i]
• Awareness is low, with just over 1/3 women
knowing that heart disease is the leading
cause of death for women in Australia [ii]
• More than 90% women have one risk factor
for heart disease and 50% women have 2 or
3 risk factors [iii]
[i]Australian Bureau of Statistics. Causes of Death data 2009 (3303.0). March 2011.
ii] Heart Foundation, Heart Watch survey 2011 (unpublished)
[iii] AIHW. Women and Heart Disease: cardiovasular profile of women in Australia Canberra 2010
Risk factors – what are they?
•Lifestyle risk factors include:
- smoking
- poor nutrition
- being physically inactive
- being overweight
- having depression or being social isolated
•Clinical risk factors include:
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol levels
- family history of heart disease or heart attacks
•The more risk factors you have, the greater the chance of developing heart
disease or having a heart attack
What women tell us
•The mechanics of heart disease are poorly understood
•Poor understanding of clinical risk factors associated with disease e.g. high
blood pressure and high cholesterol
•Heart disease is considered of low personal relevance – many see it as a
man’s disease
•Breast cancer is considered a greater cause of concern for women
•They view heart disease as easily fixable – poor recognition of the disability
that can be associated with living with heart disease
•Unsure about how to personally apply the information about reducing risks
Annual campaign run in June each year
Go Red for Women 2012
Objectives (by December 2012)
1.To reach 35% awareness of heart
disease as the leading cause of death
2.To raise funds through national
corporate sponsorship and other
fundraising strategies
Target audience
Primary: Women aged 45-65 years
Secondary: Intermediaries – health
professionals, corporates, peak orgs,
MPs – who influence primary audience
GRFW – key messages
1. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Australian women
2. Focus on clinical risk factors – particularly on blood pressure and
cholesterol
Rationale
•Nearly one in three women aged 30-65 * have been told by their GP
they have high blood pressure, but only 10% are aware it’s a risk factor
for heart disease
• Nearly 30% of women aged 30-65 * have been told by their GP they
have high cholesterol, but only 12% are aware it’s a risk factor for heart
disease
* National Heart Foundation. Heart Watch 2010 (unpublished) Sample size = 3,454
Multi-faceted campaign
Advocacy –
MPs,
peak health
orgs
Healthy Heart
Challenge
Social
Marketing
Campaign
Health
professionals
Website and
social media
GRFW
2012
Public Relations
and media
Corporate
Sponsors
Local
activities incl
fundraising
Ten for Ten
Pledge
Events
Healthy Heart Challenge 2012
• FREE 6 week online program, where simple changes can make a
difference and lower the risk of heart disease
• How it works:
- Participants simply selected one of 4 healthy goals
1) Lower high blood pressure
2) Lower high cholesterol levels
3) Be active everyday
4) Improve everyday nutrition
• Challenge started on 4 June and runs for 6 weeks
• Over 11,000 people joined the Challenge in 2012
• Registrations now closed
Ten for Ten pledge events
• Taking place at 7 shopping centre locations during June and July
• Based on the concept of ‘Take action with the Ten for Ten pledge – take 10
seconds of your time to give 10 years back to your family’
• How it will work?
- Participants will be encouraged to make a FREE pledge on social media to
get a heart health check
- AMP Capital Shopping Centres will host the events where participants will have
their FREE pledge photo taken by a professional photographer on a red couch,
which will be uploaded onto the Heart Foundation Facebook account where
participants can share with their friends and family
- We’re encouraging ALL women to take the Ten for Ten pledge at their local
shopping centre event or directly through the Heart Foundation Facebook page
• Daily prize pack giveaways for registering on site for the Go Red e-newsletter
• Sponsor cooking & fitness demonstrations at select locations
Ten for Ten pledge events –
Dates & locations
BRISBANE – Mt Ommaney Centre – Saturday 2 June and Sunday 3 June
GOLD COAST – Pacific Fair - Saturday 9 June and Sunday 10 June
SYDNEY – Macquarie Centre - Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June
MELBOURNE – Knox Shopping Centre - Saturday 23 June and Sunday 24 June
PERTH – Karrinyup Shopping Centre – Friday 29 June and Saturday 30 June
PERTH – Garden City Shopping Centre – Friday 6 July and Saturday 7 July
SYDNEY – Warringah Mall – Saturday 14 July and Sunday 15 July
Campaign resources and tools
A range of campaign resources are available free:
•Posters promoting Go Red for Women awareness (in June)
•Clinical Risk Factor campaign and Women and Heart Disease brochures
•Online resources - content for websites and newsletter articles
•Tiles for websites (request at gored@heartfoundation.org.au)
•Fundraising guides for hosting events to raise money for women and heart
disease
Order or download resources at goredforwomen.org.au
Getting involved organisationally
• Promote Go Red
– add a Go Red tile to your intranet or internet
- include content in your newsletter to staff, patients or networks
- put posters and brochures in your lunchroom or reception area
•
Have fun with your friends, colleagues or family at a Heart Foundation
Go Red event in 2012
•
Hold a ‘red-inspired’ Go Red morning tea at work to raise awareness
and money for women and heart disease
Getting involved personally
• Visit your GP for a heart health check during June
• Talk to your friends, family and colleagues about heart disease in
women
• Take the Ten for Ten pledge at the shopping centre event in your area
during June or July (if there is one running in your State) or directly through
the Heart Foundation Facebook page
• Join the conversation to beat heart disease - ‘like’ us on Facebook
• Sign up for the free Go Red for Women e-newsletter (7 editions p.a.)
• Fundraise or donate to the Heart Foundation to raise money for women
and heart disease research and education
For more information
• Visit goredforwomen.org.au for more information and to
order / download resources
• Call the Heart Foundation Health Information Service on
1300 36 27 87 for information (local charges apply) or
email at health@heartfoundation.org.au