Abstract:
Aims. To describe the prevalence of obesity and other
coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes risk factors by
age and ethnic group in Pacific Island communities and to
determine the associations between these risk factors and
body mass index.
Methods. Cross-sectional data from two community-based
intervention projects were combined to provide
anthropometric, blood sample and blood pressure data on
1175 Pacific Islands people (467 men, 708 women) aged 20
years and over from church communities in South, Central
and West Auckland. Self-reported data on diabetes status
and leisure-time physical activity were also collected.
Results. Based on an ethnic-specific body mass index (BMI)
cut-off (> 32 kg/m2), 45% of men and 66% of women were
obese. The age-standardised prevalence of known diabetes
was 12%. Men and women aged 40 - 60 years had the
highest risk factor levels and were the most sedentary.
Tongans had higher risk factor levels than Samoans. In men,
BMI and waist circumference were associated (p<0.05), in
the direction of greater disease risk, with blood pressure and
concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDLcholesterol,
triglycerides, and blood glucose. In women,
these associations were similar but less consistent.
Conclusions. While these data are not representative for
all Pacific people living in New Zealand, they do show an
extremely high prevalence of obesity and significant
associations between obesity and other cardiovascular risk
factors. These communities warrant a very high priority as
part of public health efforts to address New Zealand’s
growing obesity epidemic.