THE IMPACT OF HEART HEALTH PROMOTION ON CORONARY HEART-DISEASE LIFE-STYLE RISK-FACTORS IN SCHOOLCHILDREN - LESSONS LEARNT FROM A COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT

A community health promotion project called Action Heart was undertake n in two electoral wards in Rotherham to try to change lifestyles of p eople. Schools were included within the project. Coronary heart diseas e lifestyle risk factors were measured at baseline and after a three y ear period in the intervention area and a similar control area. Lifest yle factors in schoolchildren were measured separately from adults usi ng a different instrument. The post intervention survey of adults and economic evaluation demonstrated that Action Heart had achieved cost-e ffective estimated health gains. In the schoolchildren however, a mixt ure of positive and negative risk factor changes in both areas was dem onstrated. Significant changes in lifestyle risk factors in schoolchil dren were not elicited using this approach. The possible reasons for t he lack of impact on lifestyle risk factors in schoolchildren are exam ined and the implications for further work explored.