Heart Disease

An Indiana University study involving college freshmen found that almost half of the students had at least two risk factors for heart disease. The study, led by Cameron L. Troxell, a graduate student in the IU Bloomington School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, involved 101 male and female college freshmen who answered a questionnaire designed to help researchers gauge the students’ perceptions of their own health compared to the actual measurements. The study found that 30 percent of the students had high cholesterol, compared to 4 percent who self-reported this risk factor. “A lot of the students were very surprised that they had high cholesterol,” said co-author Jeanne Johnston, assistant professor in the School of HPER’s Department of Kinesiology. “It really hit home that they need to start thinking about their healthy habits and behaviors.” Johnston said the college-age population is an understudied age group but an important age group, because of the independence that occurs during this critical transition period and the potential for developing lifelong healthy habits.

• Eating Healthy
• Obesity and Work
• Screening for Risk of Life Threatening Falls
• Sedentary High School Girls at Significant Risk for Osteoporosis
• Family History of Alcoholism Most at Risk of Alcohol use Disorders