Health and cost-effectiveness evaluation of an integral prevention programme aimed at reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease in Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands (Hartslag Limburg, project)

Information on the health effects and cost-effectiveness of preventive campaigns aimed at promoting health enhancing behaviour is scarce and urgently needed. 'Hartslag Limburg' is a public health trial whose goal it is to reduce cardiovascular disease by the appropriate behavioural changes in smoking, diet and physical activity in the general community and in 'high-risk-groups'. This research proposal intends to assess the effectiveness of the community intervention on biomedical risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the estimated long-term health gains in terms of cardiovascular disease. The study population consists of 3000 men and women of the intervention region, aged 20-75, and 1500 men and women of the same age from the control region Doetinchem. They will be monitored for 4 years (t=0,2,4 years) with regard to their behaviour and risk factors status. Moreover the study intends to assess the direct and long-term costs and benefits of the community intervention and the surplus value of a high-risk group approach.