Are People More Health Conscious? A Longitudinal Study of one Community.

Secular changes in cardiovascular health awareness, knowledge and behavior were observed in four biennial cross-sectional surveys and a cohort survey in a New England community. These changes are not related to more health promotion activities in the social milieu of respondents, but are likely due to national mass media health campaigns, the effects of which may influence outcomes of community-based cardiovascular disease prevention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]