HEALTH SURVEY IN PACIFIC U. 8. ARMED FORCES MEDICAL JOURNAL Earlier marriages for women than for men resulted in a much higher proportion of married females than males in the 15- to 19-year age group, 30.2 percent for females as compared with 4.7 percent for males. In all age groups up to 45 years of age, with the excep- Table 3. Average height by age group and sex Saipan district Palau district Marshal! Islands district Age group (years). tion of Palau’s 35- to 44-year age group, there were proportionately : females than males. The reverse was true without» more married Cri . f d exception for those 45 years of age and over. > Height and weight. The inhabitants of the trust territory were of ee ; | . “medium stature and weight. In the adult age groups the average 10 to 14 ~ from 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 1 inch for females.. The average weight ~.. for males was from 133 to 145 pounds and for females from 112 to 135 - pounds. Female Male Female Male 53. 4 54.7 52, 4 53.3 Female 54.8 54.9 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 34 33 to 44 63.4 65.8 65.4 65.6 61.1 61.2 60.9 60.8 61.8 644 647 64.2 59.5 6.2 G01 50,9 83.1 65.4 65.8 651 50. 1 59.8 50.6 60.0 65 and over 63.1 59,1 62.2 57.9 63. 5 58.7 4.8 45 to 64 to 5 feet 6 inches for males .and ranged . from 5 feet 2 inches “height x : Male 604 50.8 646 502 636 No generalizations may be made for the trust territory as a whole Height and weight varied by district. For a given heightthe inhabitants of Saipan and Palau were heavier than those in the Marshall Islands, with Saipan having a slight edge over Palau in this respect (table 2). The difference was more marked for females than for with respect to variations in median blood-pressure readings. Variations followed no consistent pattern in the districts. As normally expected, median blood-pressure readings increased with age. This males were noticeably shorter than in Saipan and the Marshall Islands. Marshall Islands (table 4). increase was most rapid in the Saipan district. The median systolic and diastolic readings were generally higher for males than for males. It may be noted in table 3 that the inhabitants of Saipan were slightly taller than those of the other two districts. In Palau Blood-pressure readings. Blood-pressure readings were taken for . over 60 percent of the population. Only one reading was taken for . * females, with the smallest difference between sexes occurring in the a Table 4. * MES each individual and all readings were taken routinely during the : . Average weight, by height and sex, of 44-year age group inches) sal Pat district district aipan Height (inches and sex alau Marshall Ma Islands . 60 to 62 130.6 128. 5 122. 4 63 toee 131.9 . 149.3 ant 7. 135.9 138.3 . 133.1 134.4 ale Sia Male j oon Male F ] emale _ 180.0 * 144 * t 126.2 1.8 . ‘ 180.2 *No femaies over 65 inches in height. 1204 eo 5 a , Male Female Saipan “;. Average weight (pounds) 123.5 w2.9 * 160-9 * 15 to ie segroup ; District and sex course of the examination. Table 2. Median systolic and diastolic blood pressure by age group and sex Male Female Male Female Male Female Systolic Diastolic Systolic 119 69 124 76 135 80 118 70 122 74 125 75 116 76 77 125 78 113 a : = Diastolic 17 Marshall Islands : 45 and over age group year: Systolic 113 Palau 25 to if age group a 70 69 T4 115 119 118 7 73 70 76 132 122 130 Diastolic 79 79 DISEASE PREVALENCE American occupation forces found the health of the islanders generally poor and their needs for medical and surgical care extremely : . oe . * . * pressing. The conditions under which the native population had s. been forced to live during World War II, wartime diets of low ee . . . . calorie content, and the inadequacy of medical treatment received prior to and during the war hadall left their mark. VOLUME 10, NO. 10 =OCTOBER 1959 1205