Assessing potential predisposition of elementary school children to heart disease

Physical well-being has been designated a top priority for the children in the Clovis (California) Unified School District. In an effort to diminish coronary risk factors and encourage a healthy life style, a health assessment battery was developed for students in grades 1 through 6. The battery included measurements in height, weight, blood pressure, sit and reach flexibility, and skin-fold test for body fat composition. More than 5000 students were administered the tests by a health assessment team consisting of two nurses, three physical education resource teachers, and two clerical staff members. A random sample of 100 males and 100 females at each grade level was utilized for the statistical analysis. The correlation between body fat and weight was .80 (p v .05) in the fifth and sixth grades. Body fat was positively correlated with both systolic and diastolic measures of blood pressure. The coefficient averaged .21 (p v .05) over the 6 grades for systolic and .22 (p .05) over the 6 grades for diastolic blood pressure. Future plans call for the development of a longitudinal profile of students, as well as establishing district norms for the test battery.