Knowledge of blood cholesterol reduction in community residents

This study examined the cholesterol knowledge of inner-city community residents, who are representative of individuals in lower socio-economic groups. "Cholesterol Pursuit," a 10-item cholesterol knowledge test distributed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, was administered to 316 residents in eight local grocery stores. The average percentage of correct answers was 65.8%. Community residents in a large, urban city were fairly knowledgeable about blood cholesterol reduction, but there were misconceptions concerning the importance of eggs, fish oil, and olive oil, and with foods marked "no cholesterol." White community residents appeared to be slightly better informed about reducing blood cholesterol. Identification of misperceptions concerning cholesterol will guide future education programs for these specific communities.