Body mass index and cardiovascular risk factors in Pacific Island Polynesians and Europeans in New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
To examine relationships between body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular risk factors in 279 Europeans and 231 Polynesian Pacific Islanders in New Zealand.


METHODS
Participants were recruited from Seventh-Day Adventist church meetings or camps, and were surveyed by self-administered questionnaire. Blood pressure, weight and height were measured. Fasting blood samples were analysed for lipids, glucose and fructosamine.


RESULTS
Age-adjusted BMI was higher in Pacific Islanders than in Europeans: 32.8(0.3) versus 25.6(0.3); means(SE); p = 0.0001). In Europeans, BMI was positively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and fasting blood glucose, and negatively associated with HDL cholesterol. In Pacific Islanders, BMI was associated only with systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and with HDL cholesterol. These associations were stronger in Europeans than in Pacific Islanders.


CONCLUSIONS
In this group of Pacific Islanders, the association between BMI and cardiovascular risk factors was weaker than in Europeans. This suggests that either BMI is a poor measure of adiposity in Pacific Islanders, or that adiposity may be less strongly linked to cardiovascular disease in Pacific Islanders.
McAnulty
J
J
Department of Community Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Scragg
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D009520:New Zealand; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000208:ethnology; D000095188:Pacific Island People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People