Nutritional status in adults in the pluri-ethnic population of New Caledonia

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the nutritional status (body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR)) of the population of New Caledonia in relation to ethnicity and urban-rural environment. DESIGN: Diabetes screening survey in two rural provinces of New Caledonia and in the suburbs of Noumea. SUBJECTS: 8875 subjects aged 30±59 y, Europeans, Melanesians and Polynesians. MEASUREMENTS: BMI, WHR. RESULTS: Obesity (BMI ! 27 kg/m 2 in men, 25 kg/m 2 in women) was highly prevalent in all groups, but varied according to ethnicity: respectively, 43% and 52% in Europeans, 46% and 72% in Melanesians, 72% and 83% in Polynesians. In the urban area, mean WHR values, adjusted for age and BMI, were signi®cantly higher than in rural areas, especially in Melanesians. CONCLUSION: Both ethnicity and urban-rural environment are linked to the amount and distribution of adiposity, which appeared worsened in the urban area in Europeans, and even more in Melanesians.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Associated Factors in School-Going Adolescents of New Caledonia

“…Whereas an “equitable school system” exists—i.e., offering every adolescent the same access to school and a standardized academic curriculum, as well as a health education program [ 17 ]—the differences between the ethnic communities may lead to dramatic consequences for health in future generations [ 18 ]. Although few studies have focused on 11- to 16-year-old adolescents in New Caledonia [ 13 , 19 , 20 ], the prevalence of overweight or obesity was found to be three times greater in New Caledonian adolescents than in French adolescents in the same age range [ 21 ]. In addition, Frayon et al [ 13 ] showed that in this multi-ethnic society, the risk of being overweight/obese was significantly greater in Polynesian and Melanesian adolescents.…”

Relationships between glycaemic abnormalities, obesity and insulin resistance in nondiabetic Polynesians of New Caledonia

“…5 Previous publications from the CALDIA Study, a large diabetes screening survey conducted in the multiethnic population of New Caledonia, have shown that Polynesians indeed had the highest degree of central obesity, and the highest prevalence rate of diabetes compared to the other two major ethnic groups living in the archipelago (15.3 vs 8.4% in Melanesians or Europeans). 6,7 In order to further examine the abnormalities that could explain their higher risk of diabetes, we selected from the CALDIA database nondiabetic subjects with the purpose of comparing the degree of insulin resistance and of b-cell secretory capacity (using the homeostasis model assessment, or HOMA) between ethnic groups.…”

Hormonal status and NIDDM in the European and Melanesian populations of New Caledonia: a case-control study

“…15,16 The native Melanesian population displays a particular morphotype, as most of the women develop an android adiposity and most of the men have overall obesity. 17 This population is characterized by a low sexual dimorphism and could be a relevant model for studying hormonal status in relation to NIDDM and obesity. The present study compares normoglycaemic and NIDDM Melanesian and European men, and reports data for pre-and postmenopausal Melanesian women.…”