CORRELATES OF BLOOD-PRESSURE IN 7TH-DAY-ADVENTIST (SDA) AND NON-SDA ADOLESCENTS

Objective: This comparative study was designed to discover early deter minants of systolic (S) and diastolic (D) blood pressure (BP) elevatio ns in 138 Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) and 89 non-SDA male and female a dolescents (median age, 17 years) living at three residential secondar y schools in North Carolina. Methods: Measurements were made of blood pressure, body weight, and height, and information was collected on li festyle factors, dietary intake, and other behaviors, including exerci se, religiosity, Type A behavior, and anger, by questionnaire. Multipl e stepwise regression analyses were performed with BP, either SBP or D BP, as the independent variable. Results: A significant direct associa tion was found only between body weight and BP, but weak associations were shown between BP and other variables, including exercise, diet, r eligiosity, Type A behavior, and anger. Male and female SDA students s howed significantly higher SBPs and DBPs than did non-SDA adolescents though the differences were small (approximately 5 mm for each sex). C onclusions: These findings suggest that the higher BP values of SDA ad olescents, who were all practicing lacto-ovo-vegetarians, compared to similarly aged health-conscious non-SDAs, are determined more by eatin g behaviors that contribute to gains in body weight than by any other lifestyle variable. Furthermore, these data support the notion that th e BP-protective effects of the vegetarian diet may not emerge in these SDA youth until early adulthood.