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Health promotion and primary prevention strategies to fight chronic disease: a systematic review

dianagosalvez Diana Gosálvez Prados last modified 1/04/2014 10:49

This article analyze health promotion and primary prevention strategies in the global fight against chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to reflect on the challenges of overcoming these diseases.

Silva LS, Cotta RM, Rosa Cde O. Health promotion and primary prevention strategies to fight chronic disease: a systematic review. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2013 Nov;34(5):343-50. Available at: http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892013001100007&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en


Article

1/04/2014

METHODS:

In this systematic literature review, studies were analyzed on health programs identified by the Brazilian Health Ministry as the main global community intervention initiatives: the North Karelia Project, in Finland; the Stanford Three-Community Study, Stanford Five-City Project, Minnesota Heart Health and Pawtucket Heart Health Program, in the United States; the CINDI project, in Europe and Canada; CARMEN in South America; Mirame, in Chile; and Tianjin, in China. The LILACS, Medline, and SciELO databases were searched, as well as the Brazilian Health Ministry, Pan American Health Organization, and World Health Organization websites. Only original articles analyzing primary data were included. The outcomes evaluated in the studies were cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, physical activity level, tobacco use, dietary habits, and other risk factors for NCDs.

RESULTS:

Seventeen studies were selected. The North Karelia Project, Three Community Study, and Five-City Multifactor Risk Reduction Project contributed to decrease tobacco use, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure levels. The Minnesota Heart Health Program and the Pawtucket Heart Health Program had moderate success in reducing the risk factors for NCD. The CINDI and CARMEN programs demonstrated the importance of integrated actions for decreasing the main risk factors. The Mirame project, which focused on educational interventions for school children, reached 30 000 students in 2001 without requiring a large financial investment. The Tianjin project was able to reduce salt intake, prevalence of arterial hypertension, and obesity by restructuring primary health care services.

CONCLUSIONS:

These successful experiences in community health improvement may serve as models for the implementation of more effective health policies, aiming at the development of actions that integrate health promotion and primary prevention of the main risk factors for NCDs.


Silva LS, Cotta RM, Rosa Cde O.

América Central y del Sur