Design issues in the combination of international data from two rural community cardiovascular intervention programs

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Abstract
Objectives: To compare and contrast two rural cardiovascular community intervention programs (CCIP) in northern Sweden and the US by discussing the methods used to select and combine similar data from two separately designed and implemented CCIP in order to describe and evaluate their effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular risk. Methods: Two rural intervention populations and their reference populations were compared. A comparison was made of the intensity and duration of the intervention programs using an overall intervention intensity score. Population-based surveys were conducted at 5-year intervals in both countries. The methods used for data pooling and comparison are described. A description of statistical analyses using a mixed analysis of variance model is provided. Results: The data were pooled, taking into consideration comparable ages. New variables were created in order to define the relationship between similar data that did not permit direct comparison. Conclusions: Combination and comparison of international data from two programs allowed evaluation of community intervention programs that were developed independently for similar communities. The effectiveness of interventions can be compared using such methods.