Abstracts of theses and treatises
Benedict I (1988) Blood pressure of children in Gove, a mining town in Arnhemland and of Aboriginal children in neighbouring Yirrkala. Unpublished Master of Public Health thesis, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales.
A cross-sectional study of blood pressures of five to twelve year old school children of Gove, a mining town in East Arnhemland of the Northern Territory and those of the neighbouring Aboriginal community of Yirrakala was carried out in 1981. All the children in this age range - both aboriginal and non-aboriginal were included in the study. Height, weight and two blood pressure measurements (at rest, five minutes apart) were taken. A spot sample of urine was collected from all the Aboriginal children and from a stratified random sample of the non-Aboriginal children for estimation of sodium and creatinine. These were for an index of sodium intake.
It was found that both mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in Aboriginal Children in all age groups in both males and females, except in the 11-12 year old males where the systolic blood pressures were equal. Blood pressures were also higher in males than in females in both groups. In the non-Aboriginals and Aboriginals in both males and females, systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased with age.
The Quetelet index (W/H2) which was used as an index of body weight was higher in the non-Aboriginal children in both males and females. Multiple Regression Analysis taking blood pressure as the dependent variable and age, Quetelet index, ethnic origin, sex and urinary sodium creatinine ratio as independent variables showed that age, Quetelet index, ethnic origin and sex contributed significantly towards systolic and diastolic blood pressure in that order of importance. Sodium creatinine ratio of the urine was not shown to be an important contributor to level of blood pressure in this study. Taking the different races which were all classified under "non-Aborigines" and separating the mainly Anglo-Saxon races from the rest (30 children, mainly Asian), it was found that there was no significant differences between these two non-Aboriginal groups in sex ratio, age, Quetelet index and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
For further information on this subject look in the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet Bibliography or return to the theses page.
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