The aim of this study was to compare the body figure and serum lipid profiles of aboriginal students living in rural side in Nantou and Chinese students living in Taichung City.
Methods: Body figure and blood lipid profile was examined in elementary school fifth grade aboriginal students in Nantou and Chinese students in Taichung City, aged 10-year-10-month old to 11-year-6-month old.
Results: In girls, aboriginal students in Nantou have higher body mass index (BMI) (20.7 vs. 17.83 kg/m2, p < 0.01) and percentage of overweight (46.43% vs. 21.28%, p < 0.05) than Chinese students in Taichung City. However, Chinese girls have higher levels of total cholesterol (175.17 vs. 150.36 mg/dL, p < 0.01), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (104.31 vs. 92.78 mg/dL, p < 0.05), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (54.96 vs. 43.49 mg/dL, p < 0.01) than aboriginal girls. In boys, body height of Chinese students in Taichung city is significantly higher (144.37 vs. 139.71 cm, p < 0.01) than aboriginal students but other body figure and blood lipid profile have no significant difference.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that in Taiwan BMI and blood lipid profile differ in female children by race and geographical location but this is not so for male children.