Hypotheses addressed included 1. Activity levels and the activities selected showed increasing stability with age in preschool and older Black children. 2. The influence of parental prompts and family environment on activity increased asymptotically with age: The effects increased during early childhood; the effects did not increase significantly in older children. 3. Older sibling's influence on the target child's behavior increased with age. The target child's CVD risk status became more like the older sibling's with age. 4. Perceptions of recent Life Stress and ratings of Type A Behavior Patterns for target child, the older sibling, and mother were predisposing variables that were positively related to the target child's activity. 5. Long-term patterns of physical activity were associated with HDL and apo A-1 in the target child and the older sibling; the effect was stronger for the older sibling. Long-term patterns of the target child's nutrient intake were associated with his/her lipid levels.