Prevalence and risk factors associated with dyslipidaemia in children and adolescents among ethnic groups in Taiwan

Background. The mortality rates of cerebral. and cardiovascular diseases are higher for aborigines than non-aborigines in Taiwan. Hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholestolaemia are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Objectives. To investigate the prevalence of dyslipidaemia and its associated risk factors in aborigine (Atayal, Paiwan and Bunun tribes) and non-aborigine (Fukein and Hakka Chinese) children and adolescents in Taiwan. Study design. This was a cross-sectional study. Methods. In total, 718 mates and 721 females, below 20 years of age, were recruited. Our study defined dyslipidaemia as serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels greater than 200 and 240 mg/dl, respectively. Results. The serum triglyceride Level and the prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia were similar in both aborigines and non-aborigines and both sexes, but the Bunun and Paiwan tribes had the highest prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia in mates (11.8-29.4%) and females (10.9-22.8%) compared with other aboriginal tribes (5.1-10.8% for mates and 7.8-9.2% for females). Serum cholesterol concentrations and the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia were lower in the aborigines than nonaborigines for both sexes (P < 0.05), with the Atayal tribe having the lowest prevalence in mates (1.1%) and females (2.1%) compared with other aboriginal tribes (2.4-4.5% for mates and 5.7-8.0% for females). Using multivariate-adjusted logistic regression modelling, hypertriglyceridaemia was significantly associated with the Bunun tribe (odds ratio (OR)=3.2, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.6-6.1), hyperuricaemia (OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6), hypercholesterolaemia (OR=3.3, 95% Cl 1.7-6.4) and alcohol use (OR=2.8, 95% Cl 1.2-6.6). Hypercholesterotaemia, after controlling for age and sex, was significantly associated with the Atayal tribe (OR=0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.5), hypertriglyceridaemia (OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.8-6.7) and hyperuricaemia (OR=3.2, 95% CI = 1.7-6.0). Conclusions. For the young people of Taiwan, hypertriglyceridaemia is associated with hyperuricaemia, hypercholesterotaemia and alcohol use, and hypercholesterolaemia is associated with hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperuricaemia. Compared with non-aborigines, the young aborigines of some tribes have a higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia and a lower serum cholesterol level. (c) 2004 The Royal Institute of Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.