Health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention in childhood

Approximately one-half of America's youth are at risk for developing cardiovascular disease as adults. Because the etiology of adult cardiovascular disease is multifactorial, a number of interventions have been designed to lessen this health risk. Health promotion strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease focus on teaching children and adolescents healthy lifestyle habits (regular exercise, prudent eating, abstinence from tobacco). Health protection strategies include requiring food labels that contain information about fat and sodium content and publishing warnings about the hazards of tobacco use. Disease prevention strategies encompass clinical counseling regarding control of blood pressure and weight. This article highlights some of the existing pediatric health promotion/health protection/disease prevention programs aimed at reducing adult cardiovascular disease.