Cardiovascular risk factors and acculturation in Yaquis and Tepehuanos Indians from Mexico.
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are influenced by behavioral, cultural, and social factors, suggesting that acculturation plays a significant role in the emergency and growth of chronic disease. The objective of this study was to determine the relation between CV risk factors and the main components of acculturation, in Yaquis and Tepehuanos Indians from Mexico.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional population-based study in Yaquis and Tepehuanos communities from the Yaqui Valley in Sonora and the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains in Durango, in northwest Mexico. Acculturation status is different in both ethnic groups, with Tepehuanos living in small and remote communities retaining their traditional lifestyle and Yaquis living in well-communicated communities that have assumed Westernized lifestyles.


RESULTS
A total of 278 indigenous (120 Tepehuanos and 158 Yaquis) were randomly enrolled. Prevalence of obesity (48.1 and 6.7%, p <0.001), diabetes (18.3 and 0.83%, p <0.001), hypertriglyceridemia (43.0 and 15.0%, p <0.001), alcohol consumption (46.8 and 26.6%, p >0.001), and smoking (29.7 and 15.0%, p = 0.006) were significantly higher in Yaquis Indians. High blood pressure (6.3 and 3.3%, p = 0.40) and low HDL-cholesterol (42.4 and 34.2%, p = 0.22) were similar between Yaquis and Tepehuanos. Multivariate regression analysis adjusted by sex and age showed a significant association between calorie intake from saturated fat, but not other nutrients of customary diet, with hyperglycemia (OR 7.4, 95% CI 2.6-20.1), hypertriglyceridemia (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.3), and obesity (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.6-10.1).


CONCLUSIONS
Among the components of acculturation, intake of saturated fat is the most strongly associated with the development of CV risk factors.
Rodríguez-Morán
Martha
M
Multidisciplinary Research Group on Diabetes, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico.
Guerrero-Romero
Fernando
F
Brito-Zurita
Olga
O
Rascón-Pacheco
Ramón A
RA
Pérez-Fuentes
Ricardo
R
Sánchez-Guillén
María C
MC
González-Ortiz
Manuel
M
Martínez-Abundis
Esperanza
E
Simental-Mendía
Luís E
LE
Madero
Agustín
A
Revilla-Monsalve
Cristina
C
Flores-Martínez
Silvia E
SE
Islas-Andrade
Sergio
S
Cruz
Miguel
M
Wacher
Niels
N
Sánchez-Corona
José
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL