Family resemblance for anthropometric and blood pressure measurements in Black Caribs and Creoles from St. Vincent Island

This paper examines family resemblance for five anthropometric measurements (height, weight, triceps skinfold, upper arm circumference relaxed [UACR] and flexed [UACF] and for systolic and diastolic blood pressure in a group of adult Caribbean islanders of primarily African ancestry. Six hypotheses about family resemblance are tested by using path analysis and likelihood ratios. Significant intergenerational transmission is found only for height and UACR. For weight, UACF, and diastolic blood pressure, non-transmissionible sibling resemblance is the primary component of family resemblance, although significant marital resemblance exists for diastolic blood pressure. Triceps skinfold and systolic blood pressure show no evidence of any family resemblance. Although results for highly inheritable traits such as height are comparable to reports from other populations, measurements with a large contribution from common family environment or residual environment effects, such as triceps skinfold or blood pressure, have much lower family resemblance in this population than in other populations. We hypothesize that this difference is due to the fact that adult children and their parents do not share a common household in this culture and to the presence of major nonfamilial environmental factors contributing to obesity and hypertension in this population.(AU)

Association between stress and blood pressure variation in a Caribbean population

Based on the work of Selye (The Stress of Life, New York: McGraw Hill, 1976) it is hypothesized that stress can produce physiological abnormalities, i.e. elevated blood pressure, and that social variables can be used as indicators or risk factors for diseases. It is theorized that deviations from acceptable social patterns or traditional life-styles can produce stressful conditions that are associated with disease and that these situations can be demonstrated by examination of certain social characteristics. This association is examined among the Black Caribs of St. Vincent, West Indies. The social variables included in this analysis are marital status (single, married, widowed, or separated), frequency of church attendance (frequently, sometimes, seldom, or never), years of education, and number of children (for women only). The findings show that single individuals have higher pressures than married subjects and that males who never attended church have higher pressures than men who frequently attend church; a relationship was not demonstrated for females. Among males, as the years of education was increased, blood pressure also increased, but for females, increased education was associated with lower pressures. Family size was not associated with systolic or diastolic pressure. The analysis of these selected social variables suggest that these variables influence male systolic and diastolic pressures, but only female diastolic pressure. (AU)

A biocultural analysis of blood pressure variation among the Black Caribs and creoles of St. Vincent, West Indies

This present study is a biochemical examination of blood pressure variation among the Black Caribs and Creoles of St. Vincent, West Indies. In particular, it investigates the etiology of essential (primary) hypertension by examining both cultural and biological contributory components. Four asspects of Caribbean culture are examined: Marital status, family size