title: The prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis among middle school students in Sopot, Poland: results of the SOPKARD 15 programme.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  SOPKARD 15 is a comprehensive programme to assess the health status of a population of teenagers. The aspects assessed in the study are: physical development, nutritional status, arterial blood pressure, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, oral hygiene, and psychological parameters.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the study population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 372 children (185 girls) at the age of 14. The cut-off values for normal lipid blood levels were based on the NCEP-Peds guidelines. Body mass index was assessed on the basis of the Polish centile charts. Blood pressure values assessed against the centile charts were the mean values calculated on the basis of the second and third measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were elevated in 15.81% and 10.90% of the subjects, respectively. Abnormal blood glucose was detected in fewer than 6% of the children. Total cholesterol was elevated in 8% and borderline in 24% of the subjects; 8.5% of children were overweight and 7.4% were obese; 5.0% of the subjects took very little physical exercise; 16.4% of boys and 23.4% of girls admitted smoking. Dental examination revealed inflamed gums in 77.6% of the subjects. The diagnosis of a depressive episode was confirmed in 4.2% of the teenagers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Due to the high prevalence of the risk factors there is a need to launch a comprehensive cardiovascular prevention programme among the teenagers. 2. A considerable proportion of children with lipid abnormalities indicate the need for more frequent lipid profile testing in children.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Gdansk, Poland. michal.j.krawczyk@gmail.com
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Czarniak
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szcześniak
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Król
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pakalska Korcala
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kusiak
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Molęda Ciszewska
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ignaszewska Wyrzykowska
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wyrzykowski
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zdrojewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors