Levels and correlates of blood pressure in recent and earlier Ethiopian immigrants to Israel.

ABSTRACT

Blood pressure (BP) and anthropometric data were collected on 483 recent immigrants from Ethiopia to Israel, and on 171 adults and 100 adolescent boarding school students who had immigrated two to three years earlier. Comparison of samples within the Ethiopian groups, and between new and early Ethiopian immigrants with Israel and resident Israelis revealed the following Systolic and diastolic BP were considerably lower in recent immigrants of both sexes than among counterparts residing in Israel for two to three years. The latter group significantly approached, but did not reach, the BP levels of veteran Israelis. A similar comparison of 100 immigrant Ethiopian boarding school children with an Israeli high school population revealed apparently larger differences among the boys than the girls, whose BP was 'adapted' to a greater degree. Differences in relative weight paralleled those identified for BP, with the Quetelet index (QI) progressively higher when comparing new immigrants with earlier ones, and with persons who have lived in Israel for a longer period. Whether the weight differences provide a complete explanation for BP changes cannot be definitely stated, pending prospective data on weight and BP changes. Correlations of BP with anthropometric parameters and pulse rate indicated that weight rather than QI was the stronger correlate of BP in adults, whereas weight and height, but not QI, correlated with BP in adolescent boys. QI correlated with BP in adolescent, apparently sexually mature girls, but not in boys.