Four years of practice-based and exercise-supported behavioural medicine in one community of the German CINDI area. Countrywide Integrated Non-Communicable Diseases Intervention.

The main goal of the preventive intervention study in one community of the German CINDI (Countrywide Integrated Non-Communicable Diseases Intervention programme of the WHO) area was to improve cardiovascular health by reducing the risk factors smoking, hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolaemia, and by changing sedentary lifestyle. The intervention was performed by using the special "Three-Level-Strategy", which is characterised by activities of primary care physicians in the usual consulting hour (1st level), with patient groups in their practices (2nd level), and at community level (3rd level) where a special work group and a co-ordinating general practice are co-operating. To evaluate the occurrence of the risk factors in practice and the local population, four cross-sectional random samples (N(total) = 4881) were carried out in seven practices from 1992 to 1995.