Volume 88, Issue 3, September (2002), pp. 219-222 © The Author 2002
doi:10.1079/BJN2002668

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Invited commentary

Achieving physiological change in school-based intervention trials: what makes a preventive intervention successful?

Leslie A. Lytle¹, David R. Jacobs, Jr^1,2, Cheryl L. Perry¹, Knut-Inge Klepp^2
1University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 1300 South Second Street, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
²Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, PO Box 1046 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway

In this issue of the British Journal of Nutrition, Manios et al. (2002) describe a 6-year, school-based intervention programme using health and nutrition education to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The study was conducted among 1st to 6th grade students (6–12 years old) in Crete. Among the positive outcomes, statistically significant changes in serum lipids, particularly LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol:HDL-C ratio and LDL-C:HDL-C ratio were achieved. Net reduction in total serum cholesterol (TSC) was 3 %, 0·15 mmol/l (60 mg/l), while net reduction in LDL-C was 8 %, 0·22 mmol/l (85 mg/l) and net increase in HDL-C was 6 %, 0·1 mmol/l (40 mg/l).