Making life changes in kids before they start school lowers their heart disease risk
Published
2 years ago onBy
Talker NewsBy Georgia Lambert via SWNS
Introducing lifestyle changes in children before they even start school lowers their risk of developing heart disease later in life, according to a new study.
Researchers found that running programs teaching school-goers how to look after their hearts properly can promote lasting lifestyle changes in children as young as THREE.
Previous studies showed that unhealthy lifestyle habits - such as a nutritionally poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking - all contribute towards heart disease, and are prevalent among young children and adolescents.
A relationship has also been discovered between poor heart health in childhood and poor cardiometabolic health in adults.
Principle investigator, Dr. Valentin Fuster from the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research in Spain, said: “The program was developed as a multi-level and multi-component school-based program for the promotion of cardiovascular health and achieving lasting lifestyle changes in children from preschool age.
"It was implemented in three countries from the year 2009 onwards."
Contributing author Dr. Rodrigo Fernández-Jiménez, who is also the group leader of the cardiovascular health and imaging lab, explained why the team felt the school environment was the most suitable place to implement this program.
He said: “The school environment is a great area to introduce lifestyle interventions because children are spending so much of their time there.
“There are specific times in a child’s life when improvements can be made to enhance long-term cardiovascular health status.
"Our review, and previous studies, suggest that four to five years of age is the most favorable time to start a school-based intervention focused on healthy habits.”
Over a 10-year period, the team collected the results from the SI! Program, which included more than 3,800 children, aged from three to five years old, from 50 schools across Colombia, Spain, and the US.
According to the authors, those who attended the program showed a significant increase in knowledge, attitudes, and habits after the implementation of just four months of health promotions.
To find out how successful the program was, assessment tools were adapted as the kids matured.
The team gave them questionnaires to fill out which are modified to the cultural background of each country, and they included simple pictures of local foods, playgrounds, and images, all reflecting ethnic diversity.
Compared to the children who received less than 50 percent of the teaching, the children who received more than 75 percent, were found to have a significant change in their overall knowledge, attitudes, and habits.
Lead author Dr. Gloria Santos-Beneit, a scientific coordinator of the SHE-la Caixa Foundation explained what the team learned about the structure of their school-based studies and how they were received.
She said: “Most preschool interventions focus solely on physical activity and diet. The SI! Program breaks down cardiovascular health into four components.
"Through the first two components, children are learning how a well-balanced diet and physically active life are directly connected to a healthy heart.
"Next, they learn about emotion management, which seeks to instill behavior mechanisms against substance abuse – mainly smoking – and dietary decisions later in life.
"Finally, the children are taught about how the human body works and how it is affected by behavior and lifestyle."
In order to engage the preschoolers in the SI! Program, the researchers used a heart-shaped mascot named “Cardio” that taught them about the recommended healthy behaviors.
"Cardio" was also joined by a muppet from Sesame Street, named after Dr. Fuster.
Other teaching tools used included video segments, colorful storybooks, interactive board games, flashcards, and a teacher's guide.
The activities and messages used were tailored based on the country in which the program was implemented.
Some of the challenges that needed to be considered were family involvement, socioeconomic status, the amount of time dedicated to the program, and how long the child could sustain the strategies taught.
Dr. Fuster added: "Further research is needed to identify specific socioeconomic status factors that influence child health and effectiveness of intervention in the long term, and the issue of sustainability or need for re-intervention.
"The SI! Program has expanded across the five boroughs of New York City through the Children’s Health and Socioeconomic Implications (CHSEI) project.
“The diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in New York City offer a unique opportunity to explore which socioeconomic factors, at both the family and borough level, may eventually affect children’s health, how they are implicated in the intervention’s effectiveness, and how they can be addressed to reduce the gap in health inequalities.”
The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Stories and infographics by ‘Talker Research’ are available to download & ready to use. Stories and videos by ‘Talker News’ are managed by SWNS. To license content for editorial or commercial use and to see the full scope of SWNS content, please email [email protected] or submit an inquiry via our contact form.
You may like
Losing weight reduces risk of developing cancerous growths, new study reveals
Women fake orgasms to make men feel more macho, new study suggests
Gold rush transformed ‘pristine’ Amazon rainforests into ‘toxic’ wastelands
People with long COVID may have lung damage that doesn’t show up in routine testing
Synthetic blood cells could help stop people from bleeding to death
Why coffee and avocado toast could quickly become a thing of the past
Other Stories
Study claims having this type of job can reduce risk of memory issues
A research team measured the degree of cognitive stimulation while working.
Study claims AI better than doctors in accurately assessing eye problems
Are eye doctors going to get replaced by A-eye?
Remains of possibly largest marine reptile ever found on beach by girl
She made the "amazing" discovery while searching for fossils on a beach.
7 out of 10 teens on Twitter get bullied over their weight
Twitch was the second-highest social media platform linked to weight-related bullying.
Early humans used lava cave to shelter from elements 7,000 years ago
They used the shelter from the fierce desert sun.
Top Talkers
- Food & Drink1 week ago
We eat enough grilled cheeses a year to fill 900 Olympic swimming pools
- Broadcast1 week ago
Over 50% of Americans trust Google more than their schooling
- Animals1 week ago
Adorable Australian is a 4-year-old ‘wombat whisperer’
- Broadcast1 week ago
Americans eat enough grilled cheeses a year to fill 900 Olympic swimming pools
- Broadcast6 days ago
Grocery shopping hungry is costing Americans this much
- Broadcast1 week ago
Why 3 in 4 prefer road trips over flying
- Funny6 days ago
Cops confused by crow mimicking police siren
- Broadcast1 day ago
Over 40% of Americans have no clue what a 401k is