P N G Med J. 2001 Sep-Dec; 44(3-4): 135-50.

Superiority of traditional village diet and lifestyle in minimizing cardiovascular disease risk in Papua New Guineans.

Kende M.

Department of Pathology, Port Moresby General Hospital, Boroko, Papua New Guinea.

In the traditional society of Papua New Guinea (PNG) atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are rare. However, among the urban population reports of cases of atheroma-related CVD are increasing. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare the CVD risk factors in a homogeneous population of the Southern Highlands Province living in both rural and urban areas differing only in their diet and lifestyle. A total of 221 Samberigi people over the age of 25 years were selected for the survey. These included 123 individuals from remote villages of Samberigi and 98 of their relatives who had lived in Port Moresby city continuously for a minimum of 5 years. The anthropometric measurements, blood lipid, blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured and compared. The rural diets were mainly of vegetarian type, limited in variety and low in fat and protein content. In the urban subjects, the typical meal comprised refined foods with high fat and protein content. The urban men and women had significantly (p < 0.05) greater body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist and hip circumferences than their rural counterparts. In Port Moresby, 57% of the men and 67% of the women were overweight or obese compared to 28% of their rural counterparts. Similarly, the mean plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), fasting blood glucose and HbA1c were significantly higher in the urban group. However, no significant differences were demonstrated for waist to hip ratio, LDLC/HDLC ratio and lipoprotein (a) levels between the two groups. The total cholesterol, LDLC and HbA1c were positively associated with age and BMI in both rural and urban locations. In conclusion, there were significant increases in CVD risk factors in the urban population compared to the rural residents. This was predominantly due to the adoption of a western lifestyle and diet as people moved from rural villages to the city of Port Moresby.