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OBJECTIVES. Our goal was to report the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and lipid levels among eighth-grade adolescents from 3 US locations and differences by gender, ethnicity, and overweight percentile group. METHODS. Fasting blood samples and blood pressure levels were obtained from 1717 eighth-grade students from 12 predominantly minority schools in 3 states (Texas, California, and North Carolina) during spring 2003. Age, gender, ethnicity, weight, and height were ascertained and BMI calculated. The presence of abnormal total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, prehypertension, hypertension, at risk for overweight, and overweight were calculated and compared with the findings of previous youth studies. We examined whether prevalence differed by gender, ethnicity, or BMI group. RESULTS. A total of 23.9% of participants had high blood pressure, 16.7% had borderline total cholesterol, 4.0 % had high total cholesterol, 10.5 % had borderline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 3.9% had high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 13.3 % had low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 17.2 % had high triglycerides. A total of 19.8% of participants were at risk of overweight (BMI [greater than or equal to] 85th percentile, CONCLUSIONS. Prevalence of elevated blood pressure was higher in this sample than in previous national surveys in which subjects were less overweight. Associations between overweight and both elevated lipid and blood pressure levels suggest that adolescents overweight or at risk for overweight should be screened for elevated blood pressure and lipid levels. Key Words hypertension, cholesterol, African American, Hispanic Abbreviations LDL-C low-density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL-C--high-density lipoprotein cholesterol NHANES--National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey CDC--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PDS--Pubertal Development Scale HBP--high blood pressure TC--total cholesterol NCEP--National Cholesterol Education Program GEE--generalized estimating equation, ELEVATED LIPID (1) and blood pressure (2) levels have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and track from childhood to adulthood (3-6) suggesting that the presence of [...]

Classes on healthy living, exercise, and nutrition and physical fitness programs can lower cholesterol levels in children with cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as obesity, high cholesterol, or low aerobic capacity. Researchers assigned students at 18 elementary schools to either special health education classes, targeted exercise and nutrition programs for high-risk students, or regular health and physical education classes. Students who participated in special health programs for 8 weeks had lower cholesterol levels and less body fat than those who took regular classes., Objective. To determine the immediate effects of two types of elementary school-based interventions on children with multiple cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Design. Randomized, controlled field trial. Setting. Conducted in 18 randomly selected elementary schools across North Carolina. Study Participants. Four hundred twenty-two children age 9 [+ or -] 0.8 years with at least two risk factors at baseline: low aerobic power and either high serum cholesterol or obesity. Intervention. Both 8-week interventions consisted of a knowledge and attitude program and an adaptation of physical education. The classroom-based intervention was given by regular teachers to all children in the 3rd and 4th grades. The risk-based intervention was given in small groups only to children with identified risk factors. Children in the control group received usual teaching and physical education. Outcome Measures. The primary outcome measure was cholesterol; additional measures were blood pressure, body mass index, body fat, eating and activity habits, and health knowledge. Results. Both interventions produced large reductions in cholesterol (-10.1 mg/dL and -11.7 mg/dL) compared with a small drop (-2.3 mg/dL) in the controls. There was a trend for systolic blood pressure to increase less in both intervention groups than in the controls. Both intervention groups had a small reduction in body fat and higher health knowledge than the control group. Conclusions. Both brief interventions can improve the CVD risk profile of children with multiple risk factors. The classroom-based approach was easier to implement and used fewer resources. This population approach should be considered as one means of early primary prevention of CVD. Pediatrics 1998;102:371-380; child, cardiovascular disease, risk factors, cholesterol, intervention, blood pressure, obesity, exercise., ABBREVIATIONS. CVD, cardiovascular disease; BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; p[VO.sub.2]max, predicted aerobic power; SDR, survey data regression; MANOVA, multivariate analyses of variance; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic [...]