Diet, Exercise and Cardiovascular Health Among Ethnic Children

BACKGROUND: While much of the research in heart disease prevention has focused on relationships among cardiovascular disease risk factors, cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, there is a growing recognition of the importance of various health behaviors, such as what people eat, how much they exercise, if they smoke, their habitual approach to life including Type A behavior. Many of these risk related behaviors are correlated with the various cardiovascular disease risks. This study determined differences in social influence patterns in regard to diet and exercise between obese and non-obese families, and the impact on the obesity, dietary and exercise habits, and risk factors of children beginning at three to four years of age until seven to eight years. DESIGN NARRATIVE: This prospective, longitudinal study collected data on the twelve cohorts of families. Blood pressures, resting pulse, height, weight, skinfolds, plasma cholesterol fractions and Type A behavior data were collected on the children at five times over the course of five years. During the four years between each of the clinic measurements, observational data were collected on the diet and exercise habits of the children. At the time of clinic assessment, clinic data were also collected on the parents of the children and self report data on the parents' diet, exercise habits, and other psychosocial variables. Two substudies were also conducted. The first assessed energy expenditure levels of children in the three age groups of 3-4 years, 5-6 years, and 7-8 years and the three body types of lean, average, and obese in 12 different activities. The second substudy assessed the accuracy of mothers' 24-hour recall of the diet and exercise behaviors of their 3-4 year old children as compared to observational data on the same behaviors.