One-year follow-up of nutrition education for hypercholesterolemic children.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated retention of the effect of a home-based, practitioner-initiated nutrition education model.


METHODS
Children with elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were randomly assigned to one of two nutrition interventions or to an at-risk control group. Intervention effects were evaluated 3, 6, and 12 months postbaseline.


RESULTS
The parent-child autotutorial group demonstrated significant increases in knowledge and, along with the counseling group, decreases in total and saturated fat intake. Also, the autotutorial and counseling groups retained a majority of their initial LDL cholesterol decrease.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of heart-healthful eating and dietary fat intake as well as dietary change can be affected and retained via home-based, practitioner-initiated nutrition interventions with hypercholesterolemic children, although some form of ongoing intervention may be necessary to produce lasting decreases in LDL cholesterol levels.
Tershakovec
A M
AM
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399, USA.
Shannon
B M
BM
Achterberg
C L
CL
McKenzie
J M
JM
Martel
J K
JK
Smiciklas-Wright
H
H
Pammer
S E
SE
Cortner
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D015233:Models, Statistical; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic