Objective: To describe the effects of family-oriented prevention on total and LDL cholesterol and blood pressure of children.
Design: A controlled intervention study.
Setting: Family-oriented prevention of risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Eastern Finland. The programme consisted of two counselling meetings at children's schools, and three at children's homes.
Subjects: In total 388 in the intervention group (IG) with a family history of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and 470 in control groups: 151 in control group I (CI) with a family history of CVDs, and 319 in control group II (CII) with no family history.
Main outcome measures: Serum mean total and LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Results: Among the youngest (6-9 years) girls, changes in total (-0.3 vs. +0.2 mmol/l) and LDL cholesterol (-0.3 vs. +0.0 mmol/l) were more favourable in IG than in CI. Diastolic blood pressure increased less among the youngest boys in IG (+3 mm Hg) than among those in CI (+11 mm Hg) or CII (+10 mm Hg).
Conclusion: Family-oriented health counselling had favourable effects on total and LDL cholesterol among girls aged 6-9 years, and on the development of diastolic blood pressure among boys aged 6-9 years.