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Stewart Et Al (1999) Assessed Uk Ethnic Differences In The Incidence Of ...


Stewart et al (1999) assessed UK ethnic differences in the incidence of stroke, using data from a population-based register. Black Africans showed significantly higher stroke incidence rates compared with Caucasians. This is consistent with a higher prevalence of obesity in this the former group (NHS, 2005). However, another study by Hajat et al (2004) found that although some risk factors for stroke were more prevalent in black Africans compared with White people, the risk of obesity was actually similar across ethnic groups.
CONCLUSIONS
This review highlights inconsistencies in research on obesity in black Africans living in the UK. Although existing evidence demonstrates higher BMI levels, pathology rates, and poorer eating habits in black Africans, it is not clear the extent to which obesity (BMI) is predicted by dietary, environmental, genetic, and other variables, especially after controlling for important background variables such as age, gender, and social class. Furthermore, the possibility of underreporting inspires less confidence in existing literature. Perhaps what is most striking is the absence of randomised controlled trials, which would help identify factors that cause obesity in this group. Overall, existing evidence is too patchy to permit conclusive inferences about obesity in British Afro-Caribbean's.

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