CINDI Highlights • Number 8 - Health Promotion Agency

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Cyprus
Dr Charitini Komodiki
Programme Director
Smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy
nutrition continued to be the main focus of the
Cyprus CINDI Programme activities. This year’s
highlights included work undertaken for risk
reduction among schoolchildren.
Demonstration area
The demonstration area of the District of Nicosia has a
population of 273,129. The CINDI Programme
intervention activities are implemented throughout the whole island.
Healthy children programme
Special emphasis is set on the monitoring and reduction of risk factors among
schoolchildren in primary schools. The healthy children programme, which was
initiated in 1997, is a preventive medical programme directed at all
schoolchildren in the sixth grade. The programme includes the clinical
examination of pupils, collection of data on dietary habits and analysis and
presentation of data to parents. The medical tests of 50,000 pupils
highlighted the poor eating and unhealthy lifestyle of Cypriot students. Forty
five per cent of the evaluated pupils showed cholesterol levels above the
upper limit for their age.
Within the programme framework the following programmes/studies have
been conducted to examine: (a) the prevalence of obesity in children and
adolescents in Cyprus; (b) possible associated environmental factors; (c) the
construction of percentile curves for certain anthropometric variables and
indices such as weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI) and skin fold
thickness; (d) blood lipids, glucose, the physical activity level, weight, height
and triceps skin fold in schoolchildren aged 10-17 years who cycle compared
to a control group; (e) planning and implementation of education programme
improvement in schools.
Smoking
In Cyprus, 38.5% of men and 7.5% of females are smokers. The antismoking
campaign includes public information, smoking cessation programmes, school
competitions, press conferences, athletic games etc. All activities are
intensified during Non Smoking Day and the Quit & Win smoking cessation
competition.
Risk factor survey results
The results of the second national risk factor survey carried out in 2000 are
not satisfactory - 22.6% of Cypriots are hypertensive (BP>140/90mm HG),
54.9% have high cholesterol levels and 35.8% are overweight.
Further information
The CINDI Programme in Cyprus is managed and coordinated by the Ministry
of Health, and is supported by various scientific associations and
nongovernmental organisations. For more information, please contact the
CINDI Programme Director, Dr Charitini Komodiki, Chief Health Officer,
Ministry of Health, Markou Drakou 10, 1448 Nicosia, Cyprus. Tel: +357 2 309
511; Fax: +357 2 305 803; E-mail: ministryofhealth@cytanet.com.cy
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1. Some of the participants in the healthy children programme
2. The child health website