Cardiovascular risk factors of elementary school teachers in a low socio-economic area of a metropolitan city: the Heart Smart Program

Abstract

A viable method to encourage healthy lifestyle development is health education in elementary schools; however, the effective implementation of health education depends to a large extent upon the teacher for information, motivation and role modeling. This need is especially pressing when health education efforts are instituted in innercity, low socio-economic (SES) minority schools. The Heart Smart program addressed this need by providing health risk status evaluation and feedback to elementary school teachers (n=42; x age = 46 years) in such a school. Screening procedures were similar to those used in The Bogalusa Heart Study. Total cholesterol 200 mg/dl was found in 68% of sample and 89% of these had LDL-C 130 mg/dl, a significantly greater percentage than would be expected in the general population. A significant percentage of teachers with elevated cholesterol were overweight, compared with teachers with normal ranges of cholesterol, demonstrating clustering of risk factors. Elevated blood pressure was found in 24% and 50% were at least 20% above ideal weight for height. The Carter Center Health Appraisal indicated risk for breast and ovarian cancer was less than that for heart disease. Preventive screening, e.g. pap smear, breast and rectal exams, were poorly used. Most teachers did not know blood pressure levels and none knew cholesterol levels. Evaluating the health risk of teachers as a preventive service to them can be important for: increasing personal awareness, providing information previously unavailable to them, and motivating health education efforts for themselves and their students.