Determinants of blood pressure in Navajo adolescents.

Hypertension is becoming more common among Navajo people, especially among young men. In a group of 580 Navajo adolescents, we looked for factors associated with variations in blood pressure level. Using our criteria, 11.1% of adolescent males and 1.6% of females had an elevated screening blood pressure. In males, blood pressure was a function of age only, and not significantly related either to obesity (body mass index) or measures of acculturation and personal adjustment. In females, blood pressure was not related to age, but was associated with body mass index. Systolic pressure in females was also associated with poor personal adjustment. Level of acculturation (by our index) had no bearing on blood pressure level in this population.