Learning Objective #1: Explain the consideration in an intervention research design

Learning Objective #2: Describe the effect of a school-based intervention

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of premature mortality, morbidity, and disability in most countries. From a preventive of view, the preventive program for CVD is needed because the CVD begins in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of the school based intervention program to improve cardiovascular health in children of Korea. The design of this study was a one group pre and post measurement. This study comprised 221 children (115 boys and 106 girls) aged 11years old at one school in Korea. The classroom based curricular consisted of a knowledge and attitude program of description of healthy heart and body, nutrition, physical activity, and negative impact of smoking was given in the 5th grade of elementary children by 4-week program for cardiovascular health promotion. To identify the immediate effect of the educational intervention program, the following variables were measured; self-esteem, self efficacy, and health knowledge for the healthy lifestyle. The differences of self esteem between pre and posttest was statistically significance (t=8.237, p=000). The self efficacy between pre and posttest has significantly different between pre and posttest (t=81.451, p=000). Finally, the health knowledge at posttest was a significant higher than the health knowledge at pretest (t=3.975, p=000). The findings of this study show that the immediate effect of school based intervention could promote positive changes in self esteem, self efficacy, and health knowledge in Korean children. This study suggests that the class based intervention program for the cardiovascular health promotion is needed to modify and change their health behavior in childhood as early and promote the healthier life in adult and later life.