GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE AND PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY IN A MEXICAN INDIGENOUS POPULATION

OBJECTIVE - To assess diabetes prevalence and physical activity among an indigenous population in Mexico. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A to tal of 101 adult (mean age = 38 years) Mixtec Indians living on the ou tskirts of Huajuapan de Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico, volunteered to be measur ed for height, weight, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and physical activity. RESULTS - According to World Health Organization criteria, 2 women were diabetic and 42 subjects (15 men, 27 women) had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Although the population was generally lean, w ith a mean +/- SD body mass index (BMI) of 23.0 +/- 2.7 kg/m(2) for me n (n = 47) and 22.8 +/- 3.0 kg/m(2) for women (n = 54), the group with normal glucose tolerance had a significantly lower BMI than those wit h abnormal glucose tolerance (IGT or diabetes). Men were significantly more physically active than women, and a larger percentage of women ( 54%) than men (32%) had abnormal glucose tolerance. However, within ge nder groups, there was not a significant effect, of physical activity on status of glucose tolerance. CONCLUSIONS - The Mixtec population ma y be genetically predisposed to non-insulin-dependent diabetes, althou gh their current lifestyle provides a protective effect. Less of a pro tective effect is seen for females, however. It is expected that furth er environmental changes impacting energy balance will have the most d amaging repercussions for diabetes prevalence among Mixtec women.