School teachers can effectively manage primary prevention of adult cardiovascular disease. The Stradella Project.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether school teachers educated about Primary Prevention of Adult Cardiovascular Disease (PPCVD) could help their students improve their blood lipid profile.


METHODS
Five teachers voluntarily received training about PP-CVD. Thirteen classes of a single high school in Stradella (north Italy) were randomized to receive a 2-month course on PP-CVD (PP-classes; 150 pupils) by their teachers or to a control group (control classes; 130 pupils) during 2004. In all students body weight and fasting venous blood concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-CHOL, LDL-CHOL, and triglycerides were determined before and 6 months after the completion of the PP-CVD course.


RESULTS
Six months after the PP-CVD course, males had significant improvements of all baseline lipid parameters whereas females had improved HDL-CHOL and TC/HDL ratio. No improvements were observed in the control class students. Body weight was unchanged in both groups of students 6 months after the PP-CVD course or the control course.


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation shows that well-trained school teachers are able to manage PP-CVD education so that students can really improve their lipid profile as a consequence of autonomous changes in dietary habits.
Aquilani
Roberto
R
Servizio di Fisiopatologia Metabolico-Nutrizionale e Nutrizione Clinica, Fondazione S.Maugeri, Istituto Scientifico di Montescano, Montescano-Pavia, Italy.
Parisi
Umberto
U
Bigoni
Nunzia
N
Maggi
Luisa
L
Ghioni
Giuseppina
G
Zucchella
Marina
M
Lombardi
Pierangelo
P
Covini
Cristina
C
Pastoris
Ornella
O
Dossena
Maurizia
M
Verri
Manuela
M
Boschi
Federica
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000193:education*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools