Evaluation of a school-site cardiovascular risk factor screening intervention

Though several published reports have demonstrated the feasibility of conducting school-site cardiovascular risk factor screening programs as well as the ability of such programs to detect high-risk children and parents, less is known about their cognitive and behavioral impact.

Four Michigan elementary schools received a cardiovascular risk factor screening intervention twice between spring 1989 and spring 1990 and four other area schools served as comparison sites. All eight schools received the Michigan Model Comprehensive School Health Education Program.

Among participating students (n = 1,166) and their parents (n = 514), significant favorable changes in relevant health knowledge as well as attitudes regarding nutrition and early detection of disease relative to comparison student (n = 480) and parents (n = 158), were observed. There was also a significant decrease in students' self-reported intake of high-fat foods and parents of children who participated were themselves significantly more likely to report having had their cholesterol and blood pressure tested.

This quasi-experimental study suggests that school-based risk factor screening programs can positively influence the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of schoolchildren and their parents and may, therefore, represent a potentially effective adjunct to traditional curricular approaches to disease prevention and health education as well as an alternative means of early detection.