Change in public perspective on cholesterol and heart disease. Results from two national surveys
B. Schucker, K. Bailey, J. T. Heimbach, M. E. Mattson, J. T. Wittes, C. M. Haines, D. J. Gordon, J. A. Cutler, V. S. Keating, R. S. Goor and al. et
Lipid Metabolism-Atherogenesis Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Md, and the Food
and Drug Administration, Washington, DC, sponsored two national probability
telephone surveys (N = 4000) of adults to assess attitudes and knowledge
about heart disease risk from high blood cholesterol levels and the
public's efforts to lower blood cholesterol levels. The first survey was
conducted in 1983, before release of the results from the Lipid Research
Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial, which showed that a reduction in
the blood cholesterol level reduced coronary heart disease; the second
survey was conducted in 1986. The percentage of adults who believed that
reducing high blood cholesterol levels would have a large effect on heart
disease increased from 64% in 1983 to 72% in 1986, so that the importance
attached to reducing high blood cholesterol levels approached that
attributed to reducing smoking and high blood pressure. In 1983, 35% of
adults reported that they had their cholesterol level checked vs 46% in
1986. In both years, diet changes were most frequently chosen (greater than
60%) as ways to control the blood cholesterol level; reducing dietary fat
was believed to be as important as reducing dietary cholesterol. By 1986,
23% of adults reported that they made dietary changes specifically to lower
their blood cholesterol level, up from 14% in 1983. These comparative data
show gains in public awareness and action relating to high blood
cholesterol level risk. The data can be used to develop education programs.
