title: Cholesterol screening using the school as a worksite.
abstract: This article illustrates the appropriateness of the school as a worksite for health promotion programs and demonstrates how cholesterol screening is an effective tool to introduce such a program into a school system. Of 1,639 employees, 1,217 elected to have their cholesterol measured (74% response rate). Forty-five percent had elevated cholesterol according to the NIH Consensus Panel. Of these, 12% were in the "high" category (greater than or equal to 240 mg/dl) while 33% had levels that placed them in the "borderline high" risk category (200-239 mg/dl). Cholesterol screening can be incorporated easily into most school systems due to the presence of nursing staff and health educators. Systematic planning is essential for success and must include a counseling and educational intervention coupled with an active referral and follow-up program. This type of screening should be part of a multicomponent health promotion program.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Preventive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Iammarino
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laufman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trost
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012574:Schools; D013781:Texas
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol