Heart healthy habits in adults are rooted in the environment we live in in early childhood and, therefore, it is important to focus on health promotion in young children during this period to potentially prevent cardiovascular disease in adulthood, according to a review paper published Dec. 6 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

In the review paper, the authors describe what the future of health promotion looks like and specifically address three focus areas: reasons why children should be a focus for health promotion; strategies for health promotion in children along with legislative efforts; and research gaps. According to the authors, the unique plasticity of the human brain during childhood makes it the ideal window of opportunity to instill lifelong lasting healthy habits.

Modifiable risk factors in children and adolescents can include smoking, obesity, physical activity and unhealthy diet, as well as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose. Research has shown that less than one percent of children have ideal dietary habits and only about 50 percent of adolescents get the guideline recommended amount of physical activity. However, research has also shown that children with unhealthy habits who adopt healthy habits before adulthood have similar health outcomes to those who were never unhealthy.

According to researchers, to effectively change the health habits of children, a multicomponent educational approach that involves family and teachers must be used. In the review, several strategies for school-based initiatives, family- and community-based interventions, and legislation and public policy initiatives are discussed.

Finally, the authors address the current gaps in research that might influence the success of health promotion interventions in children, including a lack of research on how family strain and emotional issues associated with socioeconomic status may influence unhealthy habits and limited longitudinal data directly linking unhealthy behaviors in children and cardiovascular outcomes in adults.

"The integration of school-, family- and community-based approaches, along with a wide support across multiple sectors through the implementation of public policies, are likely necessary for the success of health promotion programs in children," said Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC. "However, long-term and large-scale research studies need to establish their effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular risk factors and disease later in life."

Fuster will be giving the presentation, "The Future of Health Education Starting at Pre-School: Results in 4,000 Children at Short, Middle and Long Term," on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 10:20 a.m. ET as part of the ACC New York Cardiovascular Symposium and streamed live on ACC's Facebook page.

Keywords: Child, Adolescent, Child, Preschool, Blood Glucose, Cardiovascular Diseases, Obesity, Feeding Behavior, Diet, Health Promotion, Exercise, Social Class, Cholesterol, Habits, Public Policy, Hypertension, Smoking

< Back to Listings