Blood pressure and its biocultural correlates among the Lepchas of Sikkim, India: A microlevel epidemiological study

The present study evaluates the blood pressure profile among the Buddhist Lepchas, a tribal population, indigenous to the Sikkim Himalaya, in relation to selected biological, behavioral and sociocultural factors. The study subjects (aged 16 years and older) have been chosen from urban (Gangtok town, the capital of the State of Sikkim) and rural (Dzongu villages, about 75 km north of Gangtok) areas. The subjects inhabiting the urban area are engaged primarily in service sector while those inhabiting the rural area are practicing agri-horticulture. The results reveal that significant age effect exists on logarithmically transformed blood pressures; sex effect is not significant. Among the anthropometric variables considered, calf girth and height are found to be significantly cor related with systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. While disease status significantly affects systolic pressure, a significant effect of alcohol intake is discernible only on diastolic pressure. Furthermore, significant effects of rural/urban residence and educational level are found on blood pressures, both systolic and diastolic. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the urban Lepchas are found to be significantly higher compared to their rural counterparts. An increase in both mean, systolic and diastolic pressures is noticed with increasing level of education, although the trend is not absolutely uniform.