Changes in blood cholesterol awareness: final results from the South Carolina Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Project

Abstract

We examined changes in five indicators of blood cholesterol awareness in two comparable biracial communities in South Carolina. One community received three years of cholesterol education and intervention activities implemented by a state health department and the other served as a comparison. Cross-sectional, interviewer-administered, random digit-dialed telephone surveys of 11,070 adults 18 years and older were conducted in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1991. Changes in community levels of knowledge, preventive behavior, risk awareness, and treatment were assessed and compared between the two communities with analysis of covariance techniques that adjusted for age, race, and sex. Significant increases in knowledge, behavior, and risk awareness were observed for most groups defined by race, sex, or age in both communities. Significant net intervention increases between 1987 and 1991 were seen for knowledge of good cholesterol level (+16.4%, P < .001); behavioral action of ever having blood cholesterol checked (+18.6%, P < .001); and knowledge of personal level of blood cholesterol (+16.0%, P < .01). These results suggest that a community-wide blood cholesterol screening and education program can be effective in increasing blood cholesterol knowledge, risk awareness, and preventive behavior, thus serving as part of a public health strategy to lower and treat high blood cholesterol levels in a community.