Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 1983 Mar;37(1):38–42. doi: 10.1136/jech.37.1.38

Blood pressure, ethnic group, and salt intake in Belize.

D Simmons
PMCID: PMC1052253  PMID: 6875443

Abstract

A total of 1316 individuals were studied in seven villages in Belize, Central America. This represented 92% of the area population aged over 18. Generally, they were members of three ethnic groups--Maya, Spanish, and Creole. The systolic and diastolic IV and V blood pressures were recorded using standardised procedure. Significant differences in blood pressure, weight, and obesity were found between ethnic groups in both sexes, Creoles having higher means than the other groups. Significant relationships with blood pressure were found with obesity, age, and number of children. An early morning urine specimen was obtained from a random 50% of the men, and only in Creoles was there an association between raised blood pressure and sodium/potassium urinary excretion ratio.

Full text

PDF
38

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Boyle E., Jr Biological pattern in hypertension by race, sex, body weight, and skin color. JAMA. 1970 Sep 7;213(10):1637–1643. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Grollman A. A conjecture about the prevalence of essential hypertension and its high incidence in the black. Tex Rep Biol Med. 1978;36:25–32. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. HUMPHRIES S. V. A study of hypertension in the Bahamas. S Afr Med J. 1957 Jul 13;31(28):694–699. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Langford H. G., Watson R. L., Douglas B. H. Factors affecting blood pressure in population groups. Trans Assoc Am Physicians. 1968;81:135–146. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. MIALL W. E., KASS E. H., LING J., STUART K. L. Factors influencing arterial pressure in the general population in Jamaica. Br Med J. 1962 Aug 25;2(5303):497–506. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5303.497. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Maddocks I. Blood pressures in Melanesians. Med J Aust. 1967 Jun 3;1(22):1123–1126. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1967.tb73930.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Miall W. E. Follow-up Study of Arterial Pressure in the Population of a Welsh Mining Valley. Br Med J. 1959 Dec 5;2(5161):1204–1210. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5161.1204. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. PICKERING G. W., ROBERTS J. A. F., SOWRY G. S. The aetiology of essential hypertension. 3. The effect of correcting for arm circumference on the growth rate of arterial pressure with age. Clin Sci. 1954 May;13(2):267–271. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Prior I. A., Evans J. G., Harvey H. P., Davidson F., Lindsey M. Sodium intake and blood pressure in two Polynesian populations. N Engl J Med. 1968 Sep 5;279(10):515–520. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196809052791004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. SCHNECKLOTH R. E., CORCORAN A. C., STUART K. L., MOORE F. E. Arterial pressure and hypertensive disease in a West Indian Negro population. Report of survey in St. Kitts, West Indies. Am Heart J. 1962 May;63:607–628. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(62)90005-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sever P. S., Gordon D., Peart W. S., Beighton P. Blood-pressure and its correlates in urban and tribal Africa. Lancet. 1980 Jul 12;2(8185):60–64. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)92940-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Shaper A. G., Leonard P. J., Jones K. W., Jones M. Environmental effects on the body build, blood pressure and blood chemistry of nomadic warriors serving in the army in Kenya. East Afr Med J. 1969 May;46(5):282–289. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wright B. M., Dore C. F. A random-zero sphygmomanometer. Lancet. 1970 Feb 14;1(7642):337–338. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)90709-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES