Coronary heart disease knowledge and risk factors among tri-ethnic college students

Objectives Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe. This study identified and compared nutritional knowledge associated with CHD risk factors among tri-ethnic college students. Design A quantitative, cross-sectional, observational study using questionnaires. Setting University laboratory. Method Three hundred college students, 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female, completed self-administered surveys of demographics, CHD knowledge, and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment. Data were analysed by gender and ethnicity using one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and Chi-square test. Results The mean percentage of correctly answered CHD knowledge questions for all subjects was 70.7 ± 7.9 per cent. The CHD knowledge was significantly higher ( p=0.039) for White non-Hispanic males than Black non-Hispanic males. A large percentage of the subjects selected'do not know' in response to the family history of heart disease (27.2 per cent) and diabetes (15.6 per cent) questions. A significant inverse correlation (p=0.032) was found between the CHD knowledge and CHD risk point standards in White non-Hispanic females. Overall, significant inverse correlations were found between CHD knowledge and intakes of calories (p=0.010), carbohydrates (p=0.016), total fat (p=0.024), and cholesterol (p=0.023). Conclusion Nutrition knowledge of CHD risk factors are key in changing nutrition behaviour, and future studies should investigate the effectiveness of nutrition education that specifically addresses ethnic differences needs and strengths of college students.