title: Religious-ethnic groups in Romania--correlations between lifestyle and health status.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the lifestyle factors from Romania on the state of health, to underlie the significant ethnical and/or confessional differences between the lifestyle and, respectively, their influence on the state of health. Our research group included 242 persons (males 88, females 155), the majority of them living in rural areas. We interviewed the subjects with the use of a questionnaire, we clinically and paraclinically investigated each and every one. The studied multi-ethnical and multi-denominational group is part of the small income population, with elementary education, with a simple and harsh way of life. Use of alcohol and tobacco is very low, overweight persons (18%) and first grade obese persons (36%) constitute more than half of the studied group. One third of the subjects present increased values of cholesterol and/or triglycerides, with an accent on men, having a metabolic syndrome with increased vascular risk. Symptomatology also correlates with the type of diet with fewer symptoms for ovo-lacto-vegetarians and also less personal pathology. Religious affiliation is determinant for the lifestyle and state of health, in comparison to ethnicity, which tends to be neutral in our study. Beliefs and religious affiliation tend to favor a lifestyle free of risk.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Colentina Hospital, Bucharest, Romania. sorinsandulache@yahoo.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Săndulache
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glavce
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Săndulache
authors.forename: C Bălăceanu
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Stolnici
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002835:Christianity; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D050177:Overweight; D006178:Romani People; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol