Ethnic Variation in Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Children and Young Adults
Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, March 1999
Abstract overview:
The primary objective of this study was to examine the extent to which cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors differed in youths from three ethnic groups (black, Mexican-American, and white), and to learn at what age differences were first apparent. It also examined whether differences in CVD risk factors remained after accounting for socioeconomic status (SES). The study was one of the most thorough comparisons to date of CVD risk factors in youths, ages 6 to 24, from the primary ethnic groups in the U.S. Additionally, the study had a wide scope: A total of more than 7600 children and young adults were chosen from 89 sites nationwide.
The study evaluated the following six primary CVD risk factors to compare the three groups of young people: blood pressure, body weight, cigarette smoking, blood cholesterol, dietary fat, and glycosylated hemoglobin (an early indicator of diabetes).
The study showed two primary findings: (1) African-American and Mexican-American grade school students were already acquiring risk factors that made them more vulnerable to developing heart disease later on in life than their white counterparts. (2) Ethnic inequalities in CVD risk factors remained even when differences in SES were considered.
Secondarily, the study also showed that low income white youths had much higher smoking rates than did youths of the same age from the two other ethnic groups.
Overall, black and Mexican-American girls and young women were much more likely to be overweight, have fattier diets, and be at greater risk of developing diabetes than white girls and young women. Black girls and young women were also more likely than their counterparts to have elevated blood pressure.
Differences in CVD risk factors between black, Mexican-American, and white youths were apparent as early as ages 6 to 9. Black and Mexican-American girls in that age group were already heavier than their white counterparts, and the gap only widened in the teenager and young adult groups. When risk factors were compared in those ages 18 to 24, the black and Mexican-American women of average height were 12 pounds heavier than white women of the same height.
The picture shifted slightly when black, Mexican-American, and white boys and young men were compared. Black and Mexican-American boys carried a higher risk of diabetes than white boys, and black boys’ diets were generally higher fat than white boys’ diets. In contrast to girls, there were no significant differences among the boys in body weight or blood pressure.
Secondary findings of the study:
Also alarming were the large percentage of smokers among low SES young white men and women. 61 percent of low SES young white women and 77 percent of young white men reported they were current smokers.
Implications and recommendations from the study:
Generally, the symptoms of heart disease do not become apparent until later in adulthood, so the early onset of high fat diets and obesity in Mexican-American and African-American youths, and smoking in low SES white youths, is unsettling. This study highlights a critical period during childhood when preventative measures can make a difference in the development of heart disease later on in life. It calls for changes in communities, at schools, and in families that support heart healthy environments for grade-school children, teenagers, and young adults.
Proposed news articles and related information:
- How can public schools be supported in providing healthier food and opportunities for physical activity for young children, teenagers, and young adults? How can communities be supported in countering the promotion and sales of cigarettes to young people?
- What policies should be considered to enhance healthier lifestyles and lessen the risk of CVD in young people?
