The Bogalusa Heart Study (Berenson et al., 1980) is a long-term
epidemiologic study, beginning at young ages, into the natural history of
cardiovascular disease. The study population is two-thirds Caucasian and
one-third African American, and is representative of semi-rural areas in the
southeastern United States (Bureau of the Census, 1992). All school-age
children participate depending upon parental consent. Examinations comprise
serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins, anthropometric
measurements, blood pressure determinations, and questionnaires on tobacco
and alcohol use. Detailed descriptions of measurement procedures
have been published (Berenson et al., 1980).