Healthy Heart, Healthy Life" Program on Cardiovascular Health Behaviors

This study evaluated the effect of the "Healthy Heart, Healthy Life" education program on the cardiovascular health behaviors of middle school students. A parallel-group, cluster-randomized controlled design was used, with the school as the unit of randomization. Two middle schools with similar sociodemographic characteristics were allocated 1:1 to the intervention or the control arm. Students aged 10 to 15 years attending these schools were enrolled. The intervention arm received the "Healthy Heart, Healthy Life" education program, delivered in a single day as four class hours of in-person interactive group sessions. The control arm received no program during the study period. Cardiovascular health behaviors were assessed at baseline, immediately after the program, and at the sixth month using the Cardiovascular Health Behavior Scale for Children (CHBSC) and the Visual Cardiovascular Health Behavior Questionnaire for Children (V-CHBQ).