[A health education program for the prevention of heart diseases carried out in a population in Calabria].
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the behaviour and knowledge of students on cardiovascular risk factors and to programme a campaign for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.


METHODS
All students attending the last year of the secondary school of this province answered a questionnaire. An educational campaign followed the analysis of the questionnaire.


RESULTS
The analysis of 3675 questionnaires shows that almost all students were between 18 and 20; 16% of males (m) and 7.4% of females (f) were overweight; 1.5% and 0.4% respectively were obese; 88.8% of m and 44% of were doing physical activity; 32.4% of m and 26.8% of f were cigarette smokers. Knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors were poor. Development of the prevention campaign. In the school districts four seminars were organized to discuss about cardiovascular prevention with science teachers of the province, using audiovisual materials. The same teachers devote 4-6 hours to the same matters during school lessons. In the next months conferences destined to the population of the province will be organized.


CONCLUSIONS
This program allows to promote health education in the whole population, through the students, with a low cost.
Misuraca
G
G
Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale dell'Annunziata, Cosenza.
Boncompagni
F
F
Chiatto
M
M
Battista
F
F
Serafini
O
O
Talarico
A
A
Plastina
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013177:Sports