[Obesity and high blood pressure in French West Indies women, some difference according to definition of obesity; BMI or abdominal obesity].
OBJECTIVE
To compare prevalence of abdominal obesity with obesity defined as BMI >or=30 kg/m2 in a West Indies population, and to define the relation between obesity and hypertension.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of 2420 consecutive unemployed subjects referred for check-up in the two health centres of Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean island. Height and weight were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight/height2 (kg/m2). Obesity was defined as BMI >or=30 kg/m2 and excess weight as BMI >or=25 kg/m2 and<30 kg/m2. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist measurement more than 88 cm for women and more than 102 cm for men.


RESULTS
[table: see text]


CONCLUSIONS
A high prevalence of obesity was observed in this Caribbean population suggesting the interest of primary prevention in The Caribbean. In women, abdominal obesity (waist measurement>88 cm) was more frequent than obesity defined as BMI>30 kg/m2). In a multivariate analysis, obesity is an independent risk factor of hypertension (Odds-ratio=3), however the definition of obesity.
Atallah
A
A
Centre Hospitalier de la Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe - Département de Santé Publique et d'Informatique, HEGP, Paris. andre.atallah@ch-labasseterre.fr
Inamo
J
J
Lang
T
T
Larabi
L
L
Chatellier
G
G
Rozet
J-E
JE
De Gaudemaris
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019430:Guadeloupe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio