Association of diet and lifestyle with blood pressure in the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations

Abstract Objective To detect the association of diet and lifestyle with blood pressure in the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations. Design A cross-sectional study of hypertension. Setting Both populations were from seven to nine villages in Napo County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Subjects A total of 1068 subjects of Hei Yi Zhuang and 933 participants of Han Chinese aged 20–89 years were surveyed by a stratified randomised cluster sampling. Results The levels of systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than in Han (125·20 (sd 18·62) v. 121·88 (sd 15·99) mmHg and 48·64 (sd 14·75) v. 44·98 (sd 11·12 ) mmHg, P < 0·001 for each, respectively). The prevalence of hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension was also higher in Hei Yi Zhuang than in Han (25·19 % v. 17·26 % and 12·45 % v. 3·86 %, P < 0·001 for each, respectively). Mean arterial pressure was positively correlated with gender, age, physical activity, TAG, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, total energy, total fat and salt intakes, and negatively associated with education level and total dietary fibre intake in Hei Yi Zhuang (P < 0·05–0·001), whereas it was positively associated with gender, age, physical activity, BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, total energy, total fat and salt intakes, and negatively associated with education level and total dietary fibre intake in Han (P < 0·05–0·001). Conclusions The differences in blood pressure levels and the prevalence of hypertension between the Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations were associated with different dietary habits, lifestyle choices, education level, as well as geographical surroundings.