Abstract: The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease paradigm predicts that early life growth retardation leads to the increased prevalence of adult metabolic diseases, including elevated blood pressure. An opportunity to test this hypothesis is provided by a longitudinal study of modernization in the Solomon Islands conducted between 1966 and 1986. Low birth weight and childhood stunting were nearly universal throughout the study. But, by the end of the study, the transition from traditional to more western-based food produced a growing prevalence of obesity. Data from linear regression analysis and a two-way ANOVA were analyzed to determine if a stronger association between childhood stunting and high adult blood pressure existed in more rapidly modernizing Solomon populations compared to those experiencing less rapid modernization. A significant positive association was found between stature z-scores of girls and their adult diastolic values (p >0.05). Low blood pressure was observed in the majority of Solomon Islanders, regardless of modernization status. This is unlike the trend one normally sees in a modernizing society where incidence of hypertension and metabolic disease increases. Therefore, compared to fully modernized populations, the economic and dietary changes that occurred in the Solomon Islands did not lead to significant increases in blood pressure.

1. By: Alexandra Harland

2. Introduction
 Effects of Modernization
 Nutritional transition
 Increased incidence of childhood stunting
 Higher frequencies of adult obesity
 Increased prevalence of adult metabolic disease
 Barker’s Hypothesis
and the Developmental
Origins of Adult
Disease Hypothesis

3. Hypothesis
 Stunted children, ages 3 to 8, are at a greater risk for
higher adult blood pressure in more modernized
populations than in less modernized populations.

4. Geographical Distribution
 Longitudinal study conducted between the mid-1960s and
mid-1980s within the Solomon Islands.
 Population distributions:
 Bougainville
 Aita
 Nasioi
 Nagovisi
 Malaita
 Lau
 Baegu
 Ontong Java

5. Divisions of Modernization
 More modernized
 Nagovisi
 Nasioi
 Ontong Java
 Less modernized
 Aita
 Lau
 Baegu

6. Baegu - Farming

7. Ontong Java – Imported Goods

8. Bougainville - Fast Food Area

9. Age Ranges & Variables
 Beginning of the study:
 Children ages 3 to 8
 End of the study:
 More modernized
 Young adults ages
17 to 27
 Less modernized
 Young adults ages
18 to 26
 Variables:
 Systolic blood pressure
and diastolic blood
pressure
 Stature
 Measured in cm
 Transformed into z-
scores

10. Childhood Stunting
Impaired fat oxidation
Higher risk for abdominal fat gain
Insulin resistance
Adult Metabolic Disease (i.e.,
Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, etc.)
Increased angiotensin
converting enzyme activity
Increased vasoconstriction
Increased adult blood
pressure

11. Table 1. Descriptive Statistics
More Modernized Less Modernized
Males
(n = 60)
Females
(n = (75)
Males
(n = 30)
Females
(n = 41)
Childhood Age Mean 5.433 5.627 5.267 5.073
Childhood Stature
z-scores
Mean -1.766 -1.688 -2.397 -2.3717
Adult Age Mean 20.5 20.92 21.53 21.61
Adult Systolic
Blood Pressure
Mean 121.52 119.36 118.3 110.17
Adult Diastolic
Blood Pressure
Mean 69.27 72.33 72.17 69.37

12. Figure 1. Relationships between childhood stature z-scores and adult
systolic blood pressure values of more and less modernized males
AdultSystolicBloodPressure
Childhood Stature z-scores

13. Figure 2. Relationships between childhood stature z-scores and adult
diastolic blood pressure values of more and less modernized males
AdultDiastolicBloodPressure
Childhood Stature z-scores

14. Figure 3. Relationships between childhood stature z-scores and adult
systolic blood pressure values of more and less modernized females
AdultSystolicBloodPressure
Childhood Stature z-scores

15. Figure 4. Relationships between childhood stature z-scores and adult
diastolic blood pressure values of more and less modernized femalesAdultDiastolicBloodPressure
Childhood Stature z-scores

16. Discussion
 The hypothesis that stunted children, ages 3 to 8, are at
greater risk for having higher adult blood pressure in more
modernized populations than in less modernized
populations was not supported due to the lack of negative
relationships and the existence of significant positive
associations.

17. Discussion
 Modernization seems to be occurring to a lesser degree
in the Solomon Islands than compared to other
developing populations
 Majority of Solomon Islander children were stunted to
some degree
 Low blood pressure observed in majority of Solomon
Islanders