ABSTRACT:
Racial Predisposition to Hypertension, obesity and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been the subject of some recent researches. The various anthropometric and obesity indicators and their relationship with blood pressure parameters in the Ibos of Nigeria were studied. Using the simple random design, 569 males and females Nigerians of Ibo ethnicity, ages 20 to 80 years were enrolled for this study. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP & DBP), body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), waist height ratio (WHTR), waist circumference (We), triceps, subscapular, calf and sum of three skin fold thicknesses (TSF, SSF, eSF,& STS respectively) and other anthropometric parameters were measured. The mean SBP for the study was 119.6 +/- 23 mmHg and DBP 79.8 +/- 13mmhg. Males showed higher mean values of 5mmHg in SBP and 3mmHg in DBP than the females. we was 3cm larger in the females than the males. BMI, WHTR, and STS were all larger in the females than in the males. The highest level of association noted in the study was between we and WHTR (r = 0.926, P < 0.01). The levels of correlations of the blood pressure parameters with the obesity indices were higher with DBP than SBP. For both sexes; we was the highest predictor of DBP, followed by WHTR. Age gave the highest prediction of SBP. This work notes WHTR as the best predictor of central obesity and also a better index for screening CVD risk factors in the Ibos.
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