Abstract 4339093: UCHealth Healthy Hearts and Minds Family Program: Educating a family together to improve health outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: For over 32 years, UCHealth Healthy Hearts and Minds (HHM) has provided heart health education and free cardiovascular risk screenings for students in Colorado. In the 2023-24 school year, 12,000 students were educated and 5,855 were screened with 15.3% having borderline/high total cholesterol (TChol; ≥170 mg/dL) and 25.9% being overweight or obese (BMI percentile ≥85th). Children identified with at least one risk factor for heart disease and their families were invited to participate in the 6-week family intervention to determine if an intergenerational education program could interrupt patterns of cardiovascular disease through increased comprehension of risk factors. Class topics include nutrition, exercise, nicotine use, genetics and stress management. Baseline knowledge and biometric screening values are assessed with follow up screenings conducted at 6-month, 1-year, and 5-year time points. Hypothesis: Educating a family together can improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Methods: 403 families with 1410 individuals (67% White, 27% Hispanic, 69% Overweight/Obese) enrolled in the program since 2014. 385 of these individuals have a full baseline, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up. Some individuals completed an extra follow up screening at 9 years. Repeated measures ANOVA models were used to analyze the data. Results: Knowledge gained was seen at every time point. At the 1-year follow-up, there were positive lifestyle changes including increased activity and improved dietary choices. This led to significant changes in TChol, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure. When analyzing the participants with elevated cholesterol levels at baseline (≥200 adults, ≥170 kids), there were significant changes in TChol, LDL cholesterol, and TChol/HDL ratio, with the average participant lowering their TChol by 28.1 points. For those who were overweight at baseline and lost weight at the 1-year follow-up, the average participant lost 11.4 pounds and saw significant changes in triglycerides, TChol/HDL ratio, and systolic blood pressure. Participants with an additional screening after the 1-year time point (5-10 years after baseline screening) saw positive long-term changes in HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and TChol/HDL ratio while maintaining weight and lifestyle improvements over 5-10 years. Conclusions: Our results suggest teaching a family together can improve health outcomes through dietary choices and increased activity.