The Relationship of Nutrient Intake and Exercise to Serum Cholesterol Levels in White Males in Evans County, Georgia

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Abstract
A study was carried out on twenty-six pairs of white men living in Evans County, Georgia, matched for age, and classified on the basis of a high or low serum cholesterol value. A repeat cholesterol determination confirmed the validity of the initial classification. Nutrient intake was assessed by means of a dietary interview during two time periods, fall and spring, for each subject. Exercise was evaluated on the basis of occupation. Significant correlations of serum cholesterol with dietary components were not found. However, a highly significant inverse relationship between exercise and cholesterol emerged. Significant seasonal differences in dietary constituents were observed which consisted essentially of a decreased caloric intake during warmer months. A possible relationship between the seasonal dietary pattern and the seasonal cholesterol pattern is noted, although present data are inadequate to test the relationship. Thus, although none of these nutrients was found to have a significant relationship to serum cholesterol in the groups studied, a highly significant inverse relationship was found between physical activity and serum cholesterol.