Prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors in Costa Rican adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors among Costa Rican adolescents.


METHODS
The prevalence of high blood pressure, obesity, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sedentarism, family history of premature CHD, saturated fat intake, diabetes mellitus, and cigarette smoking was determined in 328 adolescents, ages 12-18 years (167 males, 161 females), randomly selected from San José's urban and rural high schools.


RESULTS
Over 70% of the adolescents studied presented one risk factor for CHD. While the prevalence of family history of premature CHD, sedentarism, and cigarette smoking was significantly higher in urban adolescents, low HDL cholesterol and high blood pressure were significantly higher in rural adolescents. Girls demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of sedentarism and LDL cholesterol >2.9 mmol/L than boys. Elevated saturated fat intake (>10% total energy) was found in 37% of the adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of CHD risk factors among Costa Rican adolescents is high; particularly of saturated fat intake, sedentarism and low HDL-C levels. Primary prevention programs are urgently needed, especially among female adolescents and in the urban areas, to reduce the increased prevalence of CHD mortality among Costa Rican adults.
Monge
R
R
Costa Rican Institute for Research and Education on Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA), Ministry of Health, Tres Rios, Costa Rica.
Beita
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D004041:Dietary Fats; D002784:Cholesterol