Table 3. Ethnic differences in blood lipids, body build, and dietary intake between South Asian subgroups and white Europeans 1 .
| Indian (n = 134) | Pakistani (n = 201) | Bangladeshi (n = 166) | P (no difference between South Asian subgroups) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean difference | (95% CI) | Mean difference | (95% CI) | Mean difference | (95% CI) | ||
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | −0.02 | (−0.17, 0.12) | 0.01 | (−0.12, 0.13) | 0.02 | (−0.12, 0.16) | 0.89 |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | −0.02 | (−0.14, 0.11) | 0.03 | (−0.09, 0.14) | 0.07 | (−0.05, 0.19) | 0.59 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | −0.05 | (−0.11, 0.02) | −0.05 | (−0.11, 0.00) | −0.12 | (−0.18, −0.06) | 0.09 |
| Triglyceride (mmol/L) 2 | 0.16 | (0.08, 0.25) | 0.10 | (0.03, 0.18) | 0.20 | (0.12, 0.29) | 0.11 |
| Height (cm) | −0.01 | (−1.34, 1.31) | 0.47 | (−0.70, 1.63) | −1.39 | (−2.63, −0.14) | 0.03 |
| Weight (kg) 2 | −0.03 | (−0.08, 0.01) | −0.02 | (−0.06, 0.02) | −0.05 | (−0.09, −0.01) | 0.44 |
| Ponderal index (kg/m3) 2 | −0.03 | (−0.06, 0.00) | −0.03 | (−0.05, 0.00) | −0.02 | (−0.05, 0.01) | 0.79 |
| Sum of skinfold thickness (mm) 2 | 0.03 | (−0.06, 0.14) | 0.05 | (−0.03, 0.14) | −0.01 | (−0.10, 0.08) | 0.38 |
| Fat mass index (kg/m5) 2 | 0.05 | (−0.04, 0.14) | 0.01 | (−0.07, 0.08) | 0.03 | (−0.05, 0.11) | 0.64 |
| Energy (kcal) | 55 | (−43, 153) | 131 | (45, 217) | 126 | (34, 219) | 0.30 |
| Fat (% of energy) | 0.48 | (−0.79, 1.74) | 1.01 | (−0.09, 2.11) | 1.94 | (0.76, 3.12) | 0.15 |
| Saturated fat (% of energy) | −0.27 | (−0.95, 0.40) | −0.28 | (−0.87, 0.32) | −1.08 | (−1.71, −0.44) | 0.06 |
| Monounsaturated fat (% of energy) | −0.36 | (−0.92, 0.21) | 0.05 | (−0.45, 0.55) | 1.27 | (0.73, 1.81) | <0.0001 |
| Polyunsaturated fat (% of energy) | 0.83 | (0.23, 1.42) | 0.73 | (0.21, 1.26) | 1.70 | (1.14, 2.27) | 0.01 |
| n−6:n−3 2 | 0.12 | (0.00, 0.25) | 0.03 | (−0.07, 0.14) | −0.02 | (−0.12, 0.09) | 0.11 |
| Carbohydrate (% of energy) | 0.29 | (−1.06, 1.65) | −1.28 | (−2.46, −0.10) | −2.45 | (−3.72, −1.18) | 0.004 |
1
All ethnic differences apply to the difference from white Europeans and were adjusted for age quartiles, sex, observer (for physical and dietary measurements), time since last food intake (for lipids), month, and school (random effect). Thirty−three South Asians could not be classified specifically as Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi and were therefore omitted from South Asian subgroup analysis. P values represent statistical significance of heterogeneity of South Asian subgroups derived from a multilevel model by using likelihood ratio tests. There were missing values for height, weight, ponderal index (n = 2), sum of skinfold thickness, and fat mass index (n = 5).
2
Values are proportional differences for log-transformed variables.