A public health vs a risk-based intervention to improve cardiovascular health in elementary school children: The cardiovascular health in children study

Objectives. This study sought to determine the population effects of both c lassroom-based and risk-based interventions designed to reduce cardiovascul ar disease risk factors in children. Methods. Elementary school children (n = 2109; age range: 7-12 years) were randomized by school to a classroom-based intervention for all third and fo urth graders, a risk-based intervention only for those with 1 or more cardi ovascular disease risk factors, or a control group. The 8-week intervention s involved both knowledge-attitude and physical activity components. Results. School-level analyses showed that physical activity in the risk-ba sed group and posttest knowledge in the classroom-based group wen significa ntly higher than in the control group. With regard to trends shown by indiv idual-level analyses, cholesterol dropped more in the classroom-based than in the control group, and skinfold thickness decreased 2.9% in the classroo m-based group and 3.2% in the risk-based group (as compared with a 1.1% inc rease in the control group). Conclusions. Both classroom-based and risk-based interventions had positive effects on physical activity and knowledge, with trends toward reduced bod y fat and cholesterol. However, the classroom-based approach was easier to implement and evidenced stronger results than the risk-based intervention.