Total and Abdominal Adiposity and Hypertension in Indigenous Women in Midwest Brazil.

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for hypertension, and abdominal fat in particular has been more strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases and its prevalence has increased in Brazilian indigenous populations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension among indigenous women and its association with total and abdominal obesity after adjustment for confounding factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated indigenous non-pregnant women aged 20-59 years living in two villages of the indigenous reserve of Dourados, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.