Adolescent assessment of cardiovascular heart disease risk factor attitudes and habits

To assess the attitudes of adolescents regarding cardiovascular heart disease risk factors and determine their potential influence on reported habits: exercise, smoking, and diet, as well as their body mass index (BMI). Surveys were distributed to 141 male and 207 female adolescents at two clinic sites that serve a mostly Medicaid or uninsured population. Attitudes for obesity, smoking, and high fat diet were assessed with Likert scales, and habits for exercise, smoking, and fast food consumption were self-reported. Height and weight data were collected as well. Univariate modeling was accomplished with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, contingency table analysis, and ANOVA. Logistic regression was used for multivariate modeling. The majority of participants agreed that obesity, smoking, and high fat diets may lead to heart disease. Fifty percent of the population exercised three times or less a week. Reported smoking was similar to national averages and increased with age. Participant attitudes were disparate to their reported habits. Occurrence of obesity in the sample was higher than national averages. Smokers, compared with nonsmokers, were 1.9 times as likely to be overweight or obese ( p = .05). Participants who had a parent/guardian or grandparent with a history of heart attacks were 2.7 times as likely to smoke ( p = .001). Adolescents possess knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors as reflected in their attitude assessments; however, their lifestyle choices contradict these beliefs.