Cardiovascular risk factors in Australian indigenous and non‐indigenous children: A population‐based study

Abstract

Many risk factors for cardiovascular disease are already common in young children but not more prevalent in Aboriginal than in non-Aboriginal children. In all children, overweight and obesity have the strongest association with hypertension, but social disadvantage appears protective for hypertension. Our findings suggest that risk for cardiovascular health disparities seen in indigenous adults manifests beyond childhood and that a window of opportunity exists to prevent some of these outcomes.