This reference brief deals with the childhood antecedents to atherosclerosis and hypertension. While diet is related to the development of coronary artery diseases, there is some disagreement about what dietary changes are necessary or desirable in children to prevent their development, and at what age such changes should be made. Fifty-five…

Describes the development of instruments for assessing attitudes and knowledge about cardiovascular nutrition among adult lay persons. (Author/CS)

Current studies suggest that children today are less physically fit, are more obese, and have less healthy cardiovascular systems than their peers of 10 years ago. Obesity affects more than fitness; it is a major health problem. Physical education specialists, teachers, administrators, parents, and business leaders can cooperate to change this…

A study compared serum total cholesterol and blood pressure levels of participants in a voluntary national health screening with NHANES II estimates of the general U.S. population. Findings suggest the levels may not have decreased appreciably over 10 years; and continued national, state, and local behavior modification efforts are warranted. (SM)

This document reports on the second year of a project developed to improve the cardiovascular health of elementary school children. The project objectives in the second year were to refine and expand the curriculum which included components on cardiovascular health, nutrition, and physical fitness. Increased family awareness and involvement were…

A study was conducted to analyze high school students' self-reports and to determine biomedical cardiovascular disease risk factors in an adolescent population. Factors evaluated included smoking frequency, dietary fat intake, saturated fat intake, and cholesterol/high density lipoprotein ratio. (JN)

The purpose of this study was to investigate among postmenopausal women the relationship of dietary fat intake, tobacco smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and body weight to total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol measures in order to assess the relative influence of each…

Examines, by gender, the outcomes of the Minnesota Heart Health Program's Class of 1989 Study, presenting observations of the stability of students' behaviors over seven years. Self-reported data on various health-related behaviors indicated that girls may be more receptive than boys to social influences models of health education. (SM)

This article presents recommendations developed at the 1994 American Heart Association's Children's Heart Health Conference to promote cardiovascular health in children, particularly regarding public health, lifestyle, and behavior. The recommendations cover the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco, providing suggestions for schools,…

Reviews the objectives from Healthy People 2000 that target children and youth in order to prevent cardiovascular disease in adults, identifying the status of those health objectives midway through the time frame allotted for their attainment and making recommendations for programming in light of whether the objectives will be attained. (SM)

Certain risk factors for cardiovascular disease may be modified in childhood. The paper discusses high blood cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and high blood pressure, noting that risk factor education and modification can occur at home, school, or the doctor's office. (Author/SM)

Presents findings from the Bogalusa Heart Study that describe the early natural history of coronary artery disease and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, noting the benefits of early, regular, comprehensive school health education. A discussion of cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, oral contraception, drinking, and diet…