title: Results of a heart disease risk-factor screening among traditional college students.
abstract: The author collected data on serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and self-reported health behavior in 226 college students aged 18 to 26 years. Twenty-nine percent had undesirable total cholesterol levels, 10% had high cholesterol, 10% had high systolic blood pressure, and 11% had high diastolic blood pressure. Half or more of the participants consumed a diet high in saturated fats, engaged in binge drinking, had a parental risk for high cholesterol or blood pressure, or reported they experienced elevated stress levels. Men had higher risk-factor levels than women. Findings from a regression analysis revealed that smoking, binge drinking, lack of cardiovascular exercise, and eating a high saturated-fat diet were predictive of undesirable cholesterol levels. Study limitations included self-selection of participants and single measurements of blood pressure and cholesterol. Trained students served as screeners in the program for providing an effective, low-cost screening intervention.
authors.affiliation: Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, USA. spencer@rowan.edu
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol