Obesity and related seriological variables in a migrant Samoan population
Date
1978
Authors
Contributor
Advisor
Department
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Narrator
Transcriber
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Volume
Number/Issue
Starting Page
Ending Page
Alternative Title
Abstract
Human adaptability is a major focal point of anthropological inquiry and the physical changes resulting in response to a new environment are an important aspect of the process of human adaptability. Obesity and elevated blood pressure are two examples of these physical changes. High levels of obesity are relatively recent occurrences in the evolution of mankind and in modern times, obesity, blood pressures and serum lipids tend to be more elevated in Western, urbanized populations, including several Westernized Polynesian societies. The adverse effects of associations between obesity, blood pressure and certain biochemical variables have long been recognized and studied. High levels of obesity have been found to produce numerous adverse health effects and have been implicated in elevated blood pressures and serum lipids. Obesity is also associated with cardiovascular disease, as well as being a risk factor in coronary heart disease, a major health problem in Western industrialized Polynesian societies. The adverse effects of associations between obesity, blood pressure and certain biochemical variables have long been recognized and studied. High levels of obesity have been found to produce numerous adverse health effects and have been implicated in elevated blood pressures and serum lipids. Obesity is also associated with cardiovascular disease, as well as being a risk factor in coronary heart disease, a major health problem in Western industrialized societies. A group of Samoan migrants residing on the North Shore of Oahu provided the opportunity to measure obesity, blood pressure and serum lipids, and their relationships to the length of residence in the Westernized environment. Weights and blood pressures were elevated and similar to those observed in other Westernized Polynesians. However, cholesterol and plasma sodium levels were lower than anticipated. A modification in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system was suggested as promoting the low sodium values and perhaps influencing blood pressures. Weight and biacromial diameter also had significant relationships to blood pressure. Length of residence in Hawaii did not have a significant effect on blood pressures, weights or serum lipids. It was proposed that the subject population may not have yet resided a sufficient time on Oahu for a significant relationship to occur. Levels of acquired weight were examined through the use of skinfold measurements. Acquired weight categories were based on the size of the subscapular and triceps skinfolds which measured trunkal adipose tissue and were thought to represent acquired fat. The categories appeared useful in identifying individuals with elevated blood pressures and cholesterol values. It appeared that higher innate obesity, as well as acquired obesity, may influence these values. Also, women were found to attain higher levels of obesity than were males. The statistical evaluation of acquired weight categories was disappointing but would probably improve with a larger sample size.
Description
Keywords
Samoans, Blood lipids, Hypertension, Obesity., Blood lipids., Hypertension., Samoans--Hawaii.
Citation
Extent
Format
Geographic Location
Hawaii
Time Period
Related To
Theses for the degree of Master of Arts (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Anthropology
Related To (URI)
Table of Contents
Rights
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Collections
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.