OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of occurrence of short stature, overweight, abdominal obesity and arterial hypertension, and the possible correlations among such factors, in women of very low income. The findings were considered in terms of nutrition transition and the Barker's programming hypothesis. METHODS: A group of 223 women, 18 to 65 years of age, were studied with respect to the following parameters: for body mass index (kg/m²), values >25 indicated overweight and obesity, whilst values <18.5 indicated underweight; for waist/hip ratio, values >0.8 indicated abdominal adiposity; for systolic/diastolic blood pressure, values >140/90 mm Hg indicated hypertension; and for height, values within the 25th percentile (1st quartile) indicated short stature. RESULTS: The frequency of occurrence of overweight and obesity (present in 35.9% of the group) was greater than that of underweight (9.4% of the group). The diastolic blood pressure was positively associated with body mass index (r= 0.37; CI 95,0%: 0.01 <r² <0.26) and with waist/hip ratio (r= 0.35; CI 95.0%: 0.01 <r² <0.25). Subjects rated within the 1st and the 4th height quartiles, respectively, showed the following results: frequency of hypertension, 23.3% and 8.9% (odds ratio= 3.08; p= 0.03); frequency of overweight, 41.7% and 35.7% (p= 0.51); mean body mass index, 24.6 and 23.7 (p= 0.27); and mean waist/hip ratio, 0.87 and 0.85 (p= 0.04). CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity were more prevalent within the group, than was underweight. Short stature, which is an indicator of malnutrition in early life, presents an important risk factor for both hypertension and abdominal adiposity in later life. The studied group appeared to be undergoing a process of nutritional transition, despite their low-income status. The mechanisms of metabolic adaptation to the malnutrition experienced in early life, might be important factors involved in any explanation of the results obtained in this research.
short stature; hypertension; women; overweight; nutrition transition
