Obesity among Navajo adolescents. Relationship to dietary intake and blood pressure
T. J. Gilbert, C. A. Percy, J. R. Sugarman, L. Benson and C. Percy
Health Promotion Disease/Prevention Program, Shiprock Public Health Service Hospital, NM 87420.
We evaluated anthropometric measurements, blood pressures, dietary intakes,
and self-perceived body image of 352 Navajo Indian adolescents.
Thirty-three percent of the girls and 25% of the boys were obese according
to a body mass index criterion. Navajo youth tended to have larger
skinfolds than their white (National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey II) and Mexican American (Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey) counterparts, with the greater difference in the subscapular
skinfolds indicating a greater amount of truncal rather than peripheral
fat. When divided into lower, middle, and upper thirds of body mass index,
systolic and diastolic blood pressures were positively related with
increasing body mass index for girls, and systolic blood pressure and body
mass index were related among boys. The high prevalence of obese
adolescents and the apparent effect of the increased weight on blood
pressure in this population indicate the need for interventions aimed at
improving dietary habits and fitness levels.
