Health Survey for England - 2004, Health of Ethnic Minorities, Main report

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease increased significantly between 1999 to 2004 in Pakistani men (from 4.8 per cent to 9.1 per cent) and Indian women (from 2.3 per cent to 4.2 per cent).

After adjusting for age, doctor-diagnosed diabetes was almost four times as prevalent in Bangladeshi men and almost three times as prevalent in Pakistani and Indian men as in men in the general population.

Doctor-diagnosed diabetes was more than five times as likely among Pakistani women, at least three times as likely in Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women, and two-and-a-half times as likely in Indian women compared with women in the general population. This was also true in 1999, when diabetes was more than five times as prevalent in Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and women, and more than four times as likely in Black Caribbean women (compared with men and women in the general population).

The prevalence of having experienced respiratory symptoms (wheezing or whistling) among Black Caribbean, Irish and Chinese boys and Black Caribbean and Irish girls was similar to the prevalence within the general population (36 per cent of boys and 29 per cent of girls). Experience of wheezing was less prevalent among children in other minority ethnic groups. In 1999, the prevalence of wheezing/ whistling ranged from 18 per cent of Bangladeshi boys, to 41 per cent of Black Caribbean boys; and from 11 per cent of Bangladeshi girls to 34 per cent of Irish girls.

Black African boys were more likely to be obese than boys in the general population (31 per cent and 16 per cent respectively). Otherwise the prevalence of obesity was similar among all groups. The prevalence of obesity among Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi boys increased between 1999 and 2004 from 16 per cent to 28 per cent, and 12 per cent to 22 per cent respectively.