Improving Overall Health Status Through the CHIP Intervention

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a coronary heart disease prevention program at improving selected health indicators. METHODS: A randomized controlled health intervention study was used, with 348 participants from metropolitan Rockford, Illinois, followed for 6 months; ages ranged from 24 to 81 years. Health indicators were based on the SF-36v2. RESULTS: Those in the intervention group showed significantly greater increases in scale scores for physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health. CONCLUSION: The prevention program improved functional health and well-being scores as well as psychometrically based physical and mental health summary measures.