Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Health Behaviors between Black and Non-Black Students Participating in a School-Based Health Promotion Program

Purpose:To compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors of black and non-black children participating in Project Healthy Schools (PHS), a school-based wellness program.Design:Participants were surveyed and participated in physiological screenings pre- and post-PHS intervention.Setting:Middle schools in 4 Michigan communities of varying socioeconomic status.Participants:A total of 3813 sixth-grade students comprised the survey sample, and 2297 sixth-grade students comprised the screening sample.Intervention:Project Healthy Schools is a school-based intervention designed to reduce the risk of obesity and CVD in children through the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity.Measures:Physical examination, blood test, and self-reported survey data on dietary habits, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors were collected pre- and post-PHS.Analysis:Paired and independent t tests were used for physiologic variables. Wilcoxon sign-rank and rank-sum tests were used for survey variables.Results:At ba...