TY - JOUR
T1 - Community interventions for cardiovascular disease
AU - Parker, Donna R.
AU - Assaf, Annlouise R.
N1 - Funding Information:
To improve health risk behaviors in children, communities have also focused on intervention programs in schools. School-based interventions were included as part of the FCP, MHHP, and PHHP programs [1] . The largest school-based health education program was the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), which was funded by the National Institutes of Health [30,31] . CATCH enrolled ethnically diverse groups of children from public elementary schools in Texas, Minnesota, Louisiana, and California [31] . The aim of the CATCH study was to decrease cardiovascular risk factors in children. The program incorporated a number of strategies, including a classroom curriculum combined with a complementary family component, a program to promote smoke-free school policies, a physical education program, and a school food service program [29] . The intervention schools also received training for school staff and ongoing support visits by research staff. Fifty-six intervention elementary schools were recruited from Austin, Texas, Minneapolis, Minnesota, New Orleans, Louisiana, San Diego, California, and forty comparison schools were selected from the same school districts at each site. Results from CATCH suggested that children from the intervention schools consumed lower fat and saturated fat and reported higher levels of physical activity compared with the comparison schools [31] . In addition, physical education classes in the intervention schools spent more time in moderate to vigorous physical activity compared with the comparison schools. The intervention schools also offered school meals lower in saturated and total fat compared with school meals from the control schools [24] .
PY - 2005/12
Y1 - 2005/12
N2 - Review of the community-based CVD intervention programs suggests that a number of components have been successful using varying methods and materials for CVD risk reduction [46]. It should be noted, however, that in multi-intervention programs it is often difficult to determine which components of the intervention were responsible for the overall success of the study. The community-based approach to CVD prevention is generalizable, cost-effective (because of the use of mass communication methods), and has the potential for modifying the environment and influencing health policies [46,53]. Based on the experiences and successes of a number of community projects, recommendations have been proposed for developing future programs [49,51,52]. Although they are not totally comprehensive, it has been suggested that a community-based intervention program should consider the following recommendations: 1) An understanding of the community: the needs and priorities of the community should be assessed, and close collaboration with individuals from the community, including community leaders, opinion leaders, community health care providers, and community organizations from various sectors of the community, should be consulted. Efforts should be focused on underserved and vulnerable populations. 2) Inclusion of community activities: these activities should be integrated within the context of the community environment, including primary health care services, voluntary organizations, grocery stores, restaurants, work sites, schools, and local media. 3) Inclusion mass media messages: the mass media can provide information and reinforcement of the behavior change. 4) Develop cost-effective interventions to assure that the community is exposed to an effective dose of the intervention. 5) Work with community organizations to help change social and physical environments to make them more conducive to health and healthy lifestyles changes. 6) Develop a reliable monitoring and evaluation system: monitor the change process and conduct summary evaluations. 7) Disseminate the results to ensure that the benefits from the community program reach all communities. 8) For national implementation, the intervention program should work closely with national policy makers throughout the project.
AB - Review of the community-based CVD intervention programs suggests that a number of components have been successful using varying methods and materials for CVD risk reduction [46]. It should be noted, however, that in multi-intervention programs it is often difficult to determine which components of the intervention were responsible for the overall success of the study. The community-based approach to CVD prevention is generalizable, cost-effective (because of the use of mass communication methods), and has the potential for modifying the environment and influencing health policies [46,53]. Based on the experiences and successes of a number of community projects, recommendations have been proposed for developing future programs [49,51,52]. Although they are not totally comprehensive, it has been suggested that a community-based intervention program should consider the following recommendations: 1) An understanding of the community: the needs and priorities of the community should be assessed, and close collaboration with individuals from the community, including community leaders, opinion leaders, community health care providers, and community organizations from various sectors of the community, should be consulted. Efforts should be focused on underserved and vulnerable populations. 2) Inclusion of community activities: these activities should be integrated within the context of the community environment, including primary health care services, voluntary organizations, grocery stores, restaurants, work sites, schools, and local media. 3) Inclusion mass media messages: the mass media can provide information and reinforcement of the behavior change. 4) Develop cost-effective interventions to assure that the community is exposed to an effective dose of the intervention. 5) Work with community organizations to help change social and physical environments to make them more conducive to health and healthy lifestyles changes. 6) Develop a reliable monitoring and evaluation system: monitor the change process and conduct summary evaluations. 7) Disseminate the results to ensure that the benefits from the community program reach all communities. 8) For national implementation, the intervention program should work closely with national policy makers throughout the project.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=28444471548&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=28444471548&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pop.2005.09.012
DO - 10.1016/j.pop.2005.09.012
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16326217
AN - SCOPUS:28444471548
VL - 32
SP - 865
EP - 881
JO - Primary Care - Clinics in Office Practice
JF - Primary Care - Clinics in Office Practice
SN - 0095-4543
IS - 4
ER -