Risk factors for coronary heart disease among Jerusalem schoolchildren: preliminary findings

Prevalence and correlates of perimenstrual symptoms: a study of Israeli teenage girls

The prevalence of common premenstrual symptoms and menstrual period pain were studied in a cohort of 545 Israeli adolescent girls aged 16 to 21 years, and their correlation with biological, behavioral, and sociocultural traits were analyzed. A high proportion of the girls (80%) commonly experienced at least one premenstrual symptom. About 70% experienced menstrual pain in the past and 25% reported pain which severely interfered with daily activities during the last three cycles. Premenstrual symptoms and menstrual pain were positively associated. Oral contraceptive use appeared to reduce the prevalence of menstrual pain, and among smokers who had menstrual pain, heavier smokers experienced more pain. Girls of Asian or African ethnic origin reported consistently higher perimenstrual distress than those of Israeli or Western origin, suggesting that social expectations may affect the perception and reporting of these symptoms.

A follow-up study of adiposity and growth of Jerusalem schoolchildren from age 6 to 14 years

This study evaluated growth and change in adiposity from childhood to early adolescence in 587 Jerusalem schoolchildren examined in both the first and eighth grades. Mean body mass index, height, and weight were determined according to demographic variables and menstrual status and were compared to international reference populations. Menstruating females were taller and heavier than nonmenstruating females at both ages and were more overweight at age 14 years. Height and weight were positively correlated with social class for boys, and few differences were found among ethnic groups. Study subjects were shorter than reference subjects, and study girls were more overweight than reference girls at age 14 years. Our findings suggest that previously demonstrated ethnic differences in growth and adiposity among Israeli children are disappearing. Adolescent girls appear to be at greatest risk for developing obesity. The relationship of pubertal status to body size and obesity at and between the two ages is discussed.

Serum cholesterol (total, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), triglyceride levels, and fat consumption among Jerusalem Arab and Jewish schoolchildren

As part of initial health screening for the "Know Your Body" Program-based comprehensive health education program, 841 Jerusalem first- and second-grade schoolchildren were tested for total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. The same population, which included 643 Jewish (76.5%) and 198 Arab children (23.5%), had their nutritional habits evaluated by means of a parent-completed food-frequency questionnaire. Arab schoolchildren had significantly lower total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and higher triglyceride levels than the Jewish children studied (total cholesterol: Arab mean, 153.1 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 170.3 mg/dl; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Arab mean, 46.4 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 48.5 mg/dl; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Arab mean, 90.7 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 108.5 mg/dl; triglycerides: Arab mean, 77.9 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 66.3 mg/dl). No significant differences in consumption level of foods high in saturated fats and/or cholesterol were found between populations, although the Arab children showed a tendency to eat more of these foods. Significant differences in total cholesterol values were also found among Jewish children of different origins, but no significant differences were found in consumption levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. Further studies are needed to determine the reasons for the differences in total cholesterol and lipoprotein levels found between Jewish and Arab schoolchildren.

Socioeconomic status and hypertension in children of two state schools in Naples, Italy: preliminary findings

Most epidemiologic studies have shown a relationship between high blood pressure and socioeconomic status in childhood. Systolic and diastolic pressure were measured in 296 schoolboys and 338 schoolgirls aged 10 to 13 years. The presence of known and suspected risk factors for hypertension was evaluated by a standardized questionnaire consisting of two sections: one completed by the subjects and another by their parents. Descriptive analysis showed a lack of association between socioeconomic background, parental educational levels and childhood hypertension, a relatively strong association between a sedentary style of life and hypertension (p less than 0.001) and a statistically significant influence of maternal or paternal history of hypertension or diabetes in the sample studied (p less than 0.05). However, when all the variables were assessed by multiple correspondence analysis, two nuclei of schoolchildren were delimited. One was composed of hypertensive children with family histories of hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus who lead sedentary lives, live in large dwellings with a low crowding index and whose parents are better educated. The second nucleus was composed of normotensive subjects with opposite characteristics. The data obtained indicate that there may be a relationship between blood pressure in children and the socioeconomic status and educational level of their parents and suggest that these factors may have an impact on the child's blood pressure at a relatively young age.

Familial aggregation of blood pressure, weight and height among sibling pairs at school entry

Aggregation of blood pressure among sibling pairs of the same age and sex was studied. The children were of a restricted age group, 6-7 year olds, who entered school between 1976 and 1980 in a Western Neighborhood of Jerusalem. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 98.8 mmHg (SD 10.2), for the first sib of the pair and 97.3 mmHg (SD 9.7), for the second sib of the pair and the mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 63.0 mmHg (SD 9.6) and 60.1 mmHg (SD 9.2), respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient for SBP was 0.18 (p less than 0.05) and for DBP 0.12 (p less than 0.05), for weight 0.46 (p = 0.001) and for height 0.46 (p = 0.001). Pearson's and intraclass correlations and regression coefficients were calculated. Comparison with other studies was made. The degree of the correlation was found to differ among the various studies. The lowest correlations were those of the present study. The factors affecting the strength of the correlations are discussed.

Determinants of blood pressure in Jerusalem schoolchildren

In 1982, 113 first- and second-graders attending an elementary school in West Jerusalem had their blood pressure (BP), height, weight, and resting pulse measured. Three successive BP readings were taken. The mean of the second and third readings was used for data analysis. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 98.30 +/- 8.51 mm Hg and mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 67.63 +/- 6.85 mm Hg. An analysis of covariance was performed in order to determine the contribution of each independent variable (height, weight-for-height, sex, age, and resting pulse) to the variance in BP, while adjusting for all other independent variables. Height, weight-for-height, and resting pulse were all found to be significantly associated with both SBP and DBP. Children in the upper quartile of weight-for-height had a mean adjusted SBP that was 10.2 mm Hg higher than those in the lower quartile and a mean adjusted DBP that was 7.9 mm Hg higher. Children in the upper quartile of height (for age) had mean adjusted SBP and DBP that were 6.1 and 4.7 mm Hg higher, respectively, than those of children in the lower quartile. Sex and age showed no significant association with SBP. The associations between DBP and both sex and age were not statistically significant (P less than 0.10), but there was a trend for girls and older children to have a slightly higher DBP. In a subsample of 93 children who had both resting pulse and recovery index measured (using the Modified Harvard Step Test for children).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)