Hypertension, dyslipidemia, body mass index, diabetes and smoking status in Aboriginal Australians in a remote community.
OBJECTIVE
Study objectives were: 1) to describe the differences in the prevalence of CHD risk factors between Aboriginal people in a remote community and the general Australian population; and 2) to compare the predicted risks of CHD events between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
681 Aboriginal adults aged 25 to 74 years.


RESULTS
Aboriginal young adults had substantially higher prevalence of diabetes compared to non-Aboriginal Australians. The prevalence ratios for diabetes were 12.5, 5.6, 3.2, 1.3, and 0.73 for 25-, 35-, 45-, 55-, and 65- to 74-year-old females, respectively. The corresponding values for males were 12.1, 2.7, 2.9, 0.69, and 0.42. Young females had a higher prevalence of obesity, overweight, and abnormal waist circumference, while males and females 45 years and older tended to have a lower prevalence of overweight and abnormal waist circumference. Compared to the general population, Aboriginal adults had a lower prevalence of abnormal total cholesterol but a higher prevalence of abnormal HDL, triglycerides, hypertension, and smoking. The risk ratios of abnormal total cholesterol for females ages 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-75 years were 0.38, 0.53, 0.48, 0.48, and 0.41, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Aboriginal people in the remote community experienced different levels of CHD risk predictors from the general Australian population. They had a lower prevalence of abnormal total cholesterol and a higher prevalence of abnormal HDL, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension.
Wang
Zhiqiang
Z
Centre for Chronic Disease, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. zwang@ccs.uq.edu.au
Hoy
Wendy E
WE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000208:ethnology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*