“I Love My Heart”: A Regional Program for Reducing Cardiovascular Risk and Health Inequalities

“Je t’aime mon cœur” (“I love you, my heart”) is a regional program aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk based on a strategy consistent with the Ottawa Charter. One of the objectives of the program is to reduce health inequalities between the general population and disadvantaged groups with limited access to preventive services. Among disadvantaged groups, access to the program appears to be related to the activities designed specifically for them and, in particular, to the support provided by professionals dedicated to the task. The study also shows that the program has had a positive impact on key determinants of health, including individual factors (knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, self-esteem, etc.) and environmental factors. In addition, the study provides evidence of social mobilization and indicates that the targeted populations have responded positively to the program. There is also evidence of better coordination between professionals from different fields. However, the level of public participation in governance remains low, particularly in the steering committee and the technical committee. Additional resources are needed to promote the emergence of a public group or population actively involved in implementing the program. The participation of the general public in the team behind the project should enable people to become actors in their own right on a par with other stakeholders.