A PROFILE OF HEART-DISEASE RISK-FACTORS AND THEIR RELATION TO PARENTSEDUCATION, FATHERS OCCUPATION AND FAMILY HISTORY OF HEART-DISEASE IN 843 SOUTH-AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES - THE ADELAIDE CHILDRENS WHO COLLABORATIVE STUDY

objective: A study was conducted to determine whether the prevalence o f risk factors among pre-adolescent children is associated with their parents' risk factor status and what influence family history of ischa emic heart disease (IHD) and socio-economic status (SES) had. Methodol ogy: This was a cross-sectional study of 856 children, mean age 8.6 ye ars, and their parents who underwent the World Health Organization and National Heart Foundation protocols for the study of arteriosclerosis precursors. Historical, demographic, anthropometric, clinical and bio chemical outcome measures were used. Results: There was the expected b urden of illness reported for the grandparents and parents, with the l atter conforming to their expected age group's heart disease risk fact or status. The mean serum total cholesterol (TC) level for boys was 4. 43 (+/- 0.79) mmol/L and girls 4.62 (+/- 0.84) mmol/L with the 95th pe rcentile for boys and girls combined being 5.88 mmol/L The level corre sponding to two standard deviations above the mean was 6.0 mmol/L. Chi ldrens' IHD risk factor status reflected their parents' with TC, skin fold thickness and body mass index most closely correlated, followed b y blood pressure. The greatest correlation was between the childrens' TC and their mothers'. Socio-economic status as assessed by the parent s' education level and fathers' occupational status produced differenc es in their childrens' risk factors, with mother's level of education having the major influence. There was no impact of family history of I HD. Conclusions: From these results it would appear that screening of the pre-adolescent may be appropriate but longitudinal study will be i mportant to establish this by documenting persistence of risk factor s tatus. Also, it would appear that a child's future risk from IHD morbi dity may be due to environmental influences mediated through differenc es in SES. As the level of IHD risk factors is reduced within the comm unity, the extent of parent-child transmission of measurable IHD risk factors in families of high IHD risk may be reduced.