As a part of the Minnesota Heart Health Program (MHHP), a seven-year c
ohort study of adolescents in two different communities was conducted.
A school-based intervention was implemented in one of the communities
which addressed aspects of cardiovascular health promotion and risk-f
actor prevention. This paper focuses on changes in the adolescents' va
lues and the importance of their behaviors and lifestyle patterns over
the study period. Physical appearance was found to be the most valued
characteristic of adolescents in both communities, the only value whi
ch grew in importance over time. The least valued behavior was the amo
unt of TV they were allowed to watch. Students who participated in the
intervention community tended to retain their positive values about p
hysical exercise, whereas the reference community demonstrated gradual
reductions. Girls in the intervention community tended to value the k
inds of food they eat to a greater extent than did girls in the refere
nce group. The study data might contribute to the search for more mean
ingful incentives in future preventive programs.