Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease risk factors: review and implications for population-based practice.

This review analyzed the results of population-based intervention studies targeting primary prevention of cardiovascular disease risk factors among children and adolescents in the United States. In general, the findings indicate that cardiovascular disease risk factors may be amenable to interventions in school-based programs. Although the interventions have small effects on risk factor outcomes, they should be interpreted within the context of population-based approaches that ultimately may have a greater impact on disease prevention than much larger effects among the small proportion of individuals at the highest levels of risk.