PREVALENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE RISK-FACTORS IN A SOUTHWESTERN NATIVE-AMERICAN TRIBE

A CROSS-SECTIONAL study was conducted among the Pascua Yaqui Indian tr ibe in Tucson, AZ, in 1990 to document the prevalence of cardiovascula r disease risk factors. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality for Native Americans and for members of the Pascua Yaqui tr ibe specifically. A total of 230 randomly selected adults, ages 25-65 years, who were listed as members on the tribal roll, participated, re sulting in a 73-percent participation rate for those contacted. The fi ve risk factors Studied included diabetes, hypertension, hypercholeste rolemia, obesity, and smoking. Only 14 percent of participants had non e of the risk factors; 52 percent had two or more factors. Obesity was the most prevalent, being present in 69 percent of the women and 40 p ercent of the men, followed by diabetes, 35 percent of men and 39 perc ent of women. Twenty-six percent of the population had hypertension, a nd 43 percent of men were smokers, compared with 24 percent of women. Hypercholesterolemia was present in 19 percent of men and 14 percent o f women. The rates of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and smoking doc umented in this tribe are relatively high and can serve as a baseline for evaluating future prevention efforts.