THE IMPACT OF A REQUIRED COLLEGE HEALTH AND PHYSICAL-EDUCATION COURSEON THE HEALTH-STATUS OF ALUMNI

The impact of a required college health and physical education course on selected health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of alumni was e valuated. The design was a cross-sectional study (mail out/mail back s urvey) using a stratified random sample of 2,000 college alumni. The o verall response rate was 50%. Results were analyzed by college of grad uation (college with a required health/physical education course versu s no required course). Alumni who took the course were more likely to know their blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and recommended dietary fat intake than the comparison group were. They also reported that the course positively influenced their attitudes toward exercise, eating, and smoking They were more likely to engage in aerobic exercise and l ess likely to smoke; and they had lower intakes of dietary fat, choles terol, and sodium. The results suggested that a required college cours e enhanced selected health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of alumni.