Introduction: The aims of this study were to examine cross-sectional, and longitudinal association of different measures of obesity and physical fitness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: Longitudinal analysis included 90 adolescents with Down syndrome. Obesity and physical fitness were…

Identification of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in U.S. younger population by assessing muscular strength via handgrip (HG) dynamometry may aid in prevention efforts. Currently, no nationally representative HG cut-points are available for identifying increased CMR in U.S. adolescents or young adults. In this study, we propose normalized grip strength…

Postmenopausal women are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease as well as a reduction in psychosocial well-being. The objective of this study was to create and implement an innovative intervention that would address the health needs of overweight postmenopausal women. In this virtual pilot project, named Integrative Intervention with…

Objective: Biological and psychological factors contribute to coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being and CAD severity and determine the mediating effects of anger rumination and worry on this relationship. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional survey. Setting: Afshar…

Background: Cardiometabolic risk factors are related to the early onset of chronic health conditions. Purpose: To identify factors associated with perceptions about the severity of three interrelated cardiometabolic risks (i.e., high blood pressure, obesity, and cardiovascular disease) among U.S. college students. Methods: Data were analyzed from…

Objective: To examine rural-urban differences in college students' cardiovascular risk perceptions. Participants: College students in rural (n = 61) and urban (n = 57) Kentucky counties were recruited from November 2012 to May 2014. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study examining rural-urban differences in…

We examined the association between physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI) and novel measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 15 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (mean age 7 ± 2 years, 2 girls). PA was objectively assessed using accelerometry as time spent in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Arterial…

Background: It is thought that people with Down syndrome die younger than the general population, but that survival rates are improving. Methods: Five databases were searched for keywords related to intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome and mortality. Strict inclusion criteria were applied. Information from 34 selected studies was tabulated,…

Background: College wellness interventions have potential to reduce the growing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by guiding students to establish behaviors for lifetime CVD risk reduction. Yet, some students may not see CVD prevention as a relevant issue during young adulthood. Purpose: We examined perceived risk of CVD amongst 148 college…

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical fitness, and coronary risk factors in university students. 320 male and female (nm: 171; nf: 149, respectively) students from a university participated in this study voluntarily. For the determination of body composition and Body Mass…

Autistic individuals may be at risk of premature mortality, and physical health comorbidity increases this risk; however, most studies fail to include older autistic adults or consider lifestyle-related factors that affect health. We developed an anonymous, online physical health survey. The final sample included n = 2368 individuals (mean age =…

Poor physical health is common in people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). Two-thirds of deaths in SMI could be avoided if patients are offered prompt physical health screening for known risk factors. We aimed to identify SMI patients registered at a General Practice and audit their care in relation to physical health monitoring. We included adult…

Objectives: Cardiovascular health continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA. An interprofessional collaborative team comprising university faculty and undergraduate students developed and presented a community outreach event to provide education and health screening to a diverse group of local residents. Design: An…

Background: Due to shared health behaviors and disease risk, families may be more effective targets for health promotion. This study assessed whether providing family health history (FHH)-based risk information for heart disease and diabetes affected encouragement to engage in physical activity (PA) and healthy weight (HW) maintenance and…

Background: Tobacco is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, and current treatments lack long-term efficacy. Promoting physical activity may be a viable population-level approach to improving cardiovascular health among smokers. Purpose: To characterize smokers engaging in any physical activity based on demographics, quitting behaviors, health…