Effect of 5-year community intervention Hartslag Limburg on cardiovascular risk factors.
BACKGROUND
A widely advocated strategy in public health is community-based health promotion. The aim of this study was to investigate the net effect of a cardiovascular disease prevention program (Hartslag Limburg) on cardiovascular risk factors after 5 years of intervention.


METHODS
Cohort study comparing 5-year mean change in risk factors between the intervention and reference area. The statistical analyses for the study were performed in 2005.


METHODS
In 1998, 3000 subjects (aged 25 to 70) from the intervention area and 895 subjects from a reference area participated in the baseline measurement. Of these, 2414 intervention subjects and 758 reference subjects completed the follow-up measurement in 2003.


METHODS
Hartslag Limburg is an integrative community-based cardiovascular disease prevention program promoting a healthy lifestyle.


METHODS
Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, serum glucose (nonfasting), and serum total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.


RESULTS
During the 5-year follow-up, risk factors changed unfavorably in the reference group, whereas changes were less pronounced or absent in the intervention group. The adjusted difference in mean change in risk factors between intervention and reference group was significant (p<0.05) for BMI: -0.36 kg/m(2) in men and -0.25 kg/m(2) in women; waist circumference -2.9 cm in men and -2.1 cm in women; systolic blood pressure: -7.8 mmHg in men and -5.5 mmHg in women; total cholesterol 0.11 mmol/L in women and finally serum glucose -0.23 mmol/L in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Hartslag Limburg succeeded in reducing-and in some cases, preventing-age- and time-related increase in BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, and, in women, nonfasting glucose concentration.
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Jantine.Schuit@rivm.nl
Albertine J
AJ
Schuit
Gerrie C W
GC
Wendel-Vos
Wilhelmina M M
WM
Verschuren
Emma T
ET
Ronckers
Andre
A
Ament
Patricia
P
Van Assema
Jan
J
Van Ree
Erik C
EC
Ruland
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class