OBJECTIVES: The objective of our correlation study was to compare selected indicators of overweight and obesity of Roma and non-Roma (majority) populations in the South Bohemia Region or the Czech Republic. METHODS: The following indicators were chosen for evaluation of overweight and obesity: body height and weight, waistline measurement, waist/height index, waist/hips index, BMI, total fat and blood pressure. 600 participants were examined and interviewed in total, including 302 Roma and 298 non-Roma participants. Each of the participants had a personal examination performed by a general nurse, under hygienic-epidemiological conditions. The criteria for inclusion of participants into the study were consent with examination and age greater than 18 years. RESULTS: The statistical analysis showed that, at a level of significance of p < 0.001, the following values differed between the Roma and non-Roma population of the South Bohemia Region: waist/height index, waistline, total fat, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Differences in the incidence of the waist/hips index were significant at p < 0.01. Correlations of incidence with indicators of overweight and obesity in Roma were registered in relation to both age and gender of participants. The results show that overweight and obesity indicators were recorded more frequently in Roma female respondents. Although the results are unique, the conclusions cannot be generalized for Roma throughout the Czech Republic. CONCLUSION: The conclusions of the above findings will be implemented in strategic materials for community planning in the South Bohemia Region. The goal will be to offer services aimed at supporting a healthy life style for Roma living in the South Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic.

Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Preventive Cardiology Department Prague Czech Republic

University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice Faculty of Health and Social Studies Department of Nursing and Midwifery České Budějovice Czech Republic

University of West Bohemia in Pilsen Faculty of Health Care Studies Pilsen Czech Republic

Increased prevalence of the CVD-associated ANRIL allele in the Roma/Gypsy population in comparison with the majority Czech population

Different prevalence of T2DM risk alleles in Roma population in comparison with the majority Czech population

Qualification of Food Intake by the Roma Population in the Region of South Bohemia

Frequency of adult type-associated lactase persistence LCT-13910C/T genotypes in the Czech/Slav and Czech Roma/Gypsy populations