Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Young, Socioeconomically Vulnerable Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black Adults.

Background: Non-Hispanic Black persons are at greater risk of cardiovascular (CV) events than other racial/ethnic groups; however, their differential vulnerability to early subclinical atherosclerosis is poorly understood.

Objectives: This work aims to study the impact of race/ethnicity on early subclinical atherosclerosis in young socioeconomically disadvantaged adults.

Methods: Bilateral carotid and femoral 3-dimensional vascular ultrasound examinations were performed on 436 adults (parents/caregivers and staff) with a mean age of 38.

Lessons Learned From 10 Years of Preschool Intervention for Health Promotion: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Implementing a health promotion program for children is a complex endeavor. In this review, we outline the key lessons learned over 10 years of experience in implementing the SI! Program (Salud Integral-Comprehensive Health) for cardiovascular health promotion in preschool settings in 3 countries: Colombia (Bogotá), Spain (Madrid), and the United States (Harlem, New York). By matching rigorous efficacy studies with implementation science, we can help bridge the divide between science and educational practice.

Different Lifestyle Interventions in Adults From Underserved Communities: The FAMILIA Trial.

Background: The current trends of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in underserved communities are disturbing. Thus, effective health promotion strategies constitute an unmet need.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of 2 different lifestyle interventions on parents/caregivers of children attending preschools in a socioeconomically disadvantaged community.

Child Health Promotion in Underserved Communities: The FAMILIA Trial.

Background: Preschool-based interventions offer promise to instill healthy behaviors in children, which can be a strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease later. However, their efficacy in underserved communities is not well established.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a preschool-based health promotion educational intervention in an underserved community.

Children Present a Window of Opportunity for Promoting Health: JACC Review Topic of the Week.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the world, largely because of risk factors modifiable by changes in behavior. There is evolving evidence that our behavior as adults has its roots in the environment that we live in from early childhood. Early sustained multicomponent educational programs focused on health promotion in children may represent a window of opportunity to potentially prevent disease in adulthood.

Rationale and Design of Family-Based Approach in a Minority Community Integrating Systems-Biology for Promotion of Health (FAMILIA).

Background: The 2020 American Heart Association Impact Goal aims to improve cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20%. A large step toward this goal would be to better understand and take advantage of the significant intersection between behavior and biology across the entire life-span. In the proposed FAMILIA studies, we aim to directly address this major knowledge and clinical health gap by implementing an integrated family-centric health promotion intervention and focusing on the intersection of environment and behavior, while understanding the genetic and biologic basis of cardiovascular disease.

Family-Based Approaches to Cardiovascular Health Promotion.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the world, and the increasing burden is largely a consequence of modifiable behavioral risk factors that interact with genomics and the environment. Continuous cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention throughout the lifespan is critical, and the family is a central entity in this process. In this review, we describe the potential rationale and mechanisms that contribute to the importance of family for cardiovascular health promotion, focusing on: 1) mutual interdependence of the family system; 2) shared environment; 3) parenting style; 4) caregiver perceptions; and 5) genomics.

Neighborhood safety and green space as predictors of obesity among preschool children from low-income families in New York City.

Background: Neighborhood safety, green space, walkability, and sociodemographics may influence physical activity and childhood obesity.

Methods: Data on measured height and weight, demographic characteristics, and home ZIP code were collected from year 2004 enrollees in a means-tested preschool program in New York City. Each ZIP code was surrounded by a 400-m buffer and characterized using data from the US census, local government departments, New York Times website, and Transportation Alternatives.