Indian Heart Journal (Jan 2015)

Cardiovascular risk reduction intervention among school-students in Kolkata, West Bengal – The CRRIS study protocol

  • Soumitra Kumar,
  • Saumitra Ray,
  • Tanmay Mahapatra,
  • Kinnari Gupta,
  • Sanchita Mahapatra,
  • Mrinal K. Das,
  • Santanu Guha,
  • Pradip K. Deb,
  • Amal K. Banerjee

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ihj.2015.02.006
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 67, no. 1
pp. 33 – 39

Abstract

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Background: Increasing burden of cardiovascular risk-factors among adolescent school-children is a major concern in India. Dearth of information regarding the burden of these factors and the efficacy of educational intervention in minimizing them among urban school-students of India called for a school-based, educational intervention involving a representative sample of these students and their caregivers. Methodology: Using a randomized-controlled design with stratified-random sampling, 1000 students (approximately 50/school) of 9th grade from 20 randomly selected schools (representing all socio-economic classes and school-types) and their caregivers (preferably mothers) will be recruited. Objectives of the study will include: estimation of the baseline burden and post-interventional change in cardiovascular risk-factors, related knowledge, perception and practice among participants in Kolkata. Data collection: After obtaining appropriate consent (assent for adolescents), collection of the questionnaire-based data (regarding cardiovascular disease/risk-factor related knowledge, perception, practice), anthropometric measurements, stress assessment and cardiological check-up (pulse and blood pressure measurement along with auscultation for any abnormal heart sounds) will be conducted for each participating students twice at an interval of six months. In between 6 educational sessions will be administered in 10 of the 20 schools randomized to the intervention arm. After the follow-up data collection, same sessions will be conducted in the non-interventional schools. Data analyses and deliverable: Descriptive and inferential analyses (using SAS 9.3) will be conducted to determine the distribution of the risk-factors and efficacy of the intervention in minimizing them so that policy-making can be guided appropriately to keep the adolescents healthy in their future life.

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