The effects of a comprehensive community trial on cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents: Isfahan healthy heart program

• Main Authors: Roya Kelishadi, Noushin Mohammadifard, Nizal Sarrafzadegan, Fatemeh Nouri, Rezvan Pashmi, Ahmad Bahonar, Hossein Heidari, Sedigheh Asgary, Maryam Boshtam, Alireza Mardani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vesnu Publications 2012-03-01
• Series: ARYA Atherosclerosis
• Online Access: http://arya.mui.ac.ir/index.php/arya/article/view/368
• ISSN: 1735-3955; 2251-6638

<strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> This study aimed to assess the effects of a 6-year-long communityparticipatory<br />program including school-based interventions on mean values and prevalence of<br />cardiometabolic risk factors among adolescents.<br /><strong>METHODS:</strong> The interventions of this community trial, conducted from 2000 to 2007 in Iran,<br />targeted the whole population (of nearly two millions) living in two cities considered as the<br />intervention area (IA) in comparison with a reference area (RA). Data from surveys conducted<br />before and after interventions was used to compare the differences between the secondary<br />school students of the IA and RA.<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia declined<br />significantly in girls and boys in the IA (P &lt; 0.01). The prevalence of high LDL-C decreased<br />significantly in the girls in the RA (P = 0.002). Among both sexes in the IA, the prevalence of<br />low HDL-C increased significantly (P &lt; 0.001), whereas it decreased in the girls and boys in the<br />RA (P = 0.04). Although in the IA, the prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased<br />significantly in girls (P = 0.001), it increased in boys (P = 0.001) as well as in the girls of the RA<br />(P = 0.01).<br /><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>By performing school-based interventions, our study was successful, at least in<br />part, in controlling some cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents. Such modifications may<br />have long-term impacts on non-communicable diseases prevention in adulthood.<br /><strong>Keywords</strong>: Prevention, Adolescents, Lifestyle, Community Trial, Iran.