This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by White, C. W. Articles by Caplan, R. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by White, C. W. Articles by Caplan, R. M.

Circulation, Vol 56, 480-484, Copyright © 1977 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

The status of cardiovascular health knowledge among sixth, seventh, and eighth grade children

CW White, MA Albanese, EE Anderson and RM Caplan

The goals of this study were to develop and standardize a test of cardiovascular health knowledge to determine its status among primary school children, to ascertain the rate at which cardiovascular health knowledge increases as compared to other subject areas, and to demonstrate the feasibility of the use of standardized achievement tests for assessing the results of health education curricula. The Iowa Cardiovascular Health Knowledge Test (ICVHT) was developed and administered in conjunction with a standardized educational testing program, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), to a stratified sample of 2,675 Iowa Students from grades six, seven, and eight. The average student in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades answered 37.9 +/- 0.4, 41.2 +/- 0.3, and 43.7 +/- 0.4 (SEM) percent of the items correctly. ICVHT scores increased minimally (less than 1 item/grade) as grade levels increased, but at a 75% slower rate than scores in other subjects tested. The results document a deficiency in cardiovascular health knowledge and provide a model for use in educational assessment programs in other health disciplines.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. W. White, M. A. Albanese, E. Anderson, and R. M. Caplan Effective Cardiovascular Health Education in the Young: An Elusive Goal Eval Health Prof, October 1, 1978; 1(3): 57 - 70. [Abstract]