We studied fasting total, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in 329 children aged from 6 to 15 years. One hundred and ten lived in Concepción and were considered urban. Two hundred nineteen lived in Alto Bio-Bio and were considered rural; of these, 173 had a pehuenche aboriginal origin. Rural pehuenche, rural non pehuenche and urban children had a total cholesterol of 123.7 +/- 23, 133.7 +/- 25.8 and 153.7 +/- 29.7 mg/dl respectively, a HDL cholesterol of 39.2 +/- 9.1, 38.8 +/- 9.1 and 46.2 +/- 11.3 mg/dl respectively and triglycerides of 83.3 +/- 33.5, 96.7 +/- 33.5 and 81.9 +/- 33.3 mg/dl respectively. Lipid levels were above safe values in 2.9% of pehuenche, 8.7% non pehuenche rural and 13.6% or urban children. It is concluded that the higher lipid levels of urban and non pehuenche children supports the favorable effect of rural environment and pehuenche ethnic origin on cardiovascular risk factors.