Measuring the impact of obesity on cardiovascular risk for northern Colorado school children: Healthy hearts and minds program 2013–2023

Abstract

Obesity is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in both children and adults and is predictive of poor cardiovascular outcomes. Prevalence of CVD risk factors among children has become more frequent and is often influenced by the family. The purpose of this study was to both cross-sectionally and longitudinally determine the prevalence and changes in CVD risk factors among northern Colorado students.

Data was collected from August 2013 to May 2023 as part of the UCHealth Healthy Hearts and Minds (HHM) program (51,882 students, 52.4 % female, 71.5 % White). Objective measures of total cholesterol (TChol), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), blood pressure, height, and weight were collected. Self-reported familial CVD risk factors from parents/guardians including overweight/obesity were collected.

CVD risk consistently rises with increasing BMI across grade levels. TChol was higher and HDL was lower as BMI increased, regardless of age or sex.

Students who maintained a healthy weight in elementary and high school (66.2 % males, 67.6 % females) or moved to a healthy weight after elementary school (7.4 % males, 5.0 % females) had lower CVD risk compared to students who were overweight/obese (17.4 % males, 14.7 % females) at both timepoints. Students with a healthy weight in elementary and high school were less likely to have a family member reporting overweight/obesity (26.5 % and 28.0 %) than students who were overweight in both grade levels (50.5 % and 56.7 %).

Given the increase in childhood obesity, there is a need for aggressive screening and treatment of obesity and CVD risk in children and their families.