Cardiovascular disease risk factors in black college students.

Selected cardiovascular disease risk factors in 238 Black 1st-year college students (89 men and 149 women) were examined. Students responded to a health risk survey asking about their blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as their smoking and physical activity habits. Approximately 2% of the men and 3% of the women reported having high blood pressure. Forty-three percent of the men and 48% of the women had never had their cholesterol level checked or could not remember the result of the test. Only 6% of the men and 5% of the women reported that they smoked cigarettes. More women (62%) than men (38%) engaged in vigorous physical activity fewer than three times per week. The results indicated that health professionals need to increase awareness of blood cholesterol levels among Black men and women and should focus intervention efforts on increasing the physical activity levels of Blacks, especially women.