Prevalence and risk factors associated with dyslipidaemia in children and adolescents among ethnic groups in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
The mortality rates of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases are higher for aborigines than non-aborigines in Taiwan. Hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholestolaemia are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of dyslipidaemia and its associated risk factors in aborigine (Atayal, Paiwan and Bunun tribes) and non-aborigine (Fukein and Hakka Chinese) children and adolescents in Taiwan.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
In total, 718 males and 721 females, below 20 years of age, were recruited. Our study defined dyslipidaemia as serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels greater than 200 and 240 mg/dl, respectively.


RESULTS
The serum triglyceride level and the prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia were similar in both aborigines and non-aborigines and both sexes, but the Bunun and Paiwan tribes had the highest prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia in males (11.8-29.4%) and females (10.9-22.8%) compared with other aboriginal tribes (5.1-10.8% for males and 7.8-9.2% for females). Serum cholesterol concentrations and the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia were lower in the aborigines than non-aborigines for both sexes (P<0.05), with the Atayal tribe having the lowest prevalence in males (1.1%) and females (2.1%) compared with other aboriginal tribes (2.4-4.5% for males and 5.7-8.0% for females). Using multivariate-adjusted logistic regression modelling, hypertriglyceridaemia was significantly associated with the Bunun tribe (odds ratio (OR)=3.2, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.6-6.1), hyperuricaemia (OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6), hypercholesterolaemia (OR=3.3, 95% CI 1.7-6.4) and alcohol use (OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.6). Hypercholesterolaemia, after controlling for age and sex, was significantly associated with the Atayal tribe (OR=0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.5), hypertriglyceridaemia (OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.8-6.7) and hyperuricaemia (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.7-6.0).


CONCLUSIONS
For the young people of Taiwan, hypertriglyceridaemia is associated with hyperuricaemia, hypercholesterolaemia and alcohol use, and hypercholesterolaemia is associated with hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperuricaemia. Compared with non-aborigines, the young aborigines of some tribes have a higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia and a lower serum cholesterol level.
Ko
Y C
YC
Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan, ROC. ycko@cc.kmu.edu.tw
Huang
M C
MC
Wang
T N
TN
Chang
S J
SJ
Tsai
L Y
LY
Tu
H P
HP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000208:ethnology*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000208:ethnology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology