Prevalence of Heart Disease in Relation to Some Population Characteristics of Colorado School Children

Abstract

Study of the prevalence of definite heart disease in 10,948 children in the sixth grade of Colorado schools revealed several differences between members of the major cultural groups of the state. Prevalence ratios (standardized for age, sex, size of community of residence, and for crowding in the home) showed the Spanish-American children to have 13.5 cases of definite heart disease per 1000 examined as compared with a figure of 8.7 for Anglo-American. The Spanish-Americans had higher prevalence ratios for both congenital and rheumatic heart disease. Consistency of the differences suggest that they are real. Cultural factors are suggested as the basis for the differences.