title: Plasma cholesterol and other cardiac risk factors in adolescent girls.
abstract: The aim was to examine the effects of smoking, physical activity, and body mass on total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in adolescent schoolgirls in Sydney, Australia. Body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) were determined in 144 girls aged 15 to 18 years. Total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-C were estimated on fingerprick blood and behavioural variables assessed by questionnaire. Prevalence of overweight (> 90th centile for BMI) was less in Australian adolescents than reported from the USA. Smokers had lower total cholesterol than non-smokers; this was partly explained by a lower HDL-C in the smokers. Physical activity was associated with a less atherogenic TC/HDL-C ratio. Girls with BMI > 90th centile had higher mean TC/HDL-C and apoprotein B than the group as a whole but those > 90th centile for WHR did not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bermingham
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steinbeck
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002784:Cholesterol