The effects of the child and adolescent trial for cardiovascular health intervention on psychosocial determinants of cardiovascular disease risk behavior among third-grade students.
OBJECTIVE
The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health is a multi-site study of a school-based intervention designed to reduce or prevent the development of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The goal was to change (or prevent) related risk behaviors and the psychosocial variables that theoretically influence those behaviors.


METHODS
A nested design was used in which schools served as the primary unit of analysis. Twenty-four schools participated at each of four sites (Austin, San Diego, Minneapolis, and New Orleans). Each site had 10 control and 14 intervention schools.


METHODS
Ninety-six schools (with more than 6000 students) in the four sites were randomized to three treatment conditions: control, school-based interventions, and school-plus-family interventions. The sample included approximately equal numbers of males and females and was 67.5% white, 13.9% African-American, 13.9% Hispanic, and 4.7% other.


METHODS
The psychosocial determinants included improvements in dietary knowledge, intentions, self-efficacy, usual behavior, perceived social reinforcement for healthy food choices, and perceived reinforcement and self-efficacy for physical activity.


RESULTS
The findings indicated significant improvements in all the psychosocial determinants measured (p < .0001). The results revealed a greater impact in the school-plus-family intervention schools for two determinants, usual dietary behavior and intentions to eat heart-healthy foods.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support theory-based interventions for changing selected psychosocial determinants of cardiovascular disease risk behavior among children.
Edmundson
E
E
University of Texas at Austin, Department of Kinesiology, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
Parcel
G S
GS
Perry
C L
CL
Feldman
H A
HA
Smyth
M
M
Johnson
C C
CC
Layman
A
A
Bachman
K
K
Perkins
T
T
Smith
K
K
Stone
E
E
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011593:Psychology, Social; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013334:Students; D014481:United States