An anthropological investigation among the endogamous Telega population (106 adult individuals including 51
males and 55 females) in the district of Paschim Medinipur of West Bengal, India shows wide range of age-sex as well as
diurnal variation of mean blood pressure (MBP) with reference to different nutritional status. Distribution of MBP
shows distinct bias for sexes separately on different occasions and in association with age and other physiological conditions
like menopause in females. Records of increase of blood pressure from morning to evening also indicate clear diurnal
change in both male as well as in the female samples with some variations when compared between the two sexes. Results
also help us to understand and to record the variation of blood pressure as a physiometric trait in the population
under study. Data indicate that nearly 30% of males and more than 30 % of females are living at the level of undernutrition.
Nutritional status is measured by anthropometric measurements, e.g. height, weight, mid arm circumference
(MUAC) and further calculation of body mass index (BMI). Distribution of MBP at different BMI and MUAC levels and
Pearson correlation and regression analysis – all suggest that age, BMI and MUAC have significant impacts on BMI
with some sex-related variations
