A REPLICATION AND EVALUATION OF THE KYB PROGRAM

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Lifestyle is believed to account for a considerable proportion of morbidity and premature mortality associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Many of the behavior patterns associated with risk of cardiovascular disease begin in childhood and are carried into adulthood. Risk-factors include smoking cigarttes, obesity, lack of exercise, and a diet high in salt and fats, especially choloesterol. The goal of the Know Your Body (KYB) program is to reduce children's risk of CHD through a school curriculum which includes personal health screening, and addresses children's attitudes and psychosocial moderators as well as knowledge and behavior. The KYB program has been evaluated since 1979 in a cohort of white suburban children born in 1970. The goal of this longitudinal project is to use a PRECEED model to guide a replication and evaluation of the KYB program in about 1400 ethnically mixed urban children grades 4-6, stratefied by socioeconomic status. Included in the research design is an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of providing personal laboratory as well as other health screening values to each child on a "Health Passport." An effort will be made to reduce the cost of personnalized health screening by recruiting and training volunteers. The project is planned for five years. The research team includes health educators, pediatricians, a developmental psychologist, a medical anthoropologist, a biostatistician, and a medical sociologist.