Efficacy of a school-based cardiac health promotion intervention program for African-American adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
African-American adolescents are twice as likely to develop hypertension in early adulthood than adolescents from other racial groups. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a school-based health promotion intervention.


METHODS
Participants were African-American adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years attending an urban high school. The 9-week intervention program focused on the participants' knowledge, diet, exercise, and blood pressure.


CONCLUSIONS
The intervention program was efficacious in knowledge (p = .0001), exercise (p = .0001), as well as fruit and vegetable intake (p = .0001). Differences in systolic (p = .5548) and diastolic (p = .9719) blood pressure levels were not significant.
Covelli
Maureen McCormick
MM
University of Central Florida School of Nursing, Orlando, FL, USA. covelli@mail.ucf.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D001741:Black or African American; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012573:School Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*