The relationship between blood pressure and body mass index among primary-school children

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is Common and is a third on the list of chronic pediatric diseases (after asthma and obesity), Obesity on the Other hand is a growing problem worldwide and both are consider being major causes of morbidity and mortality in many countries, and can lead to long-term health risks in children. Objective: is to examine the association between blood pressure and Obesity in Baghdad primary school. Materials and Methods: cross sectional study, from January 1, 2016 to June 1, 2016. Clusters of 1044 children aged 6–12 years from primary schools in Baghdad were surveyed, excluding those who have cardio vascular, renal and endocrine diseases. Data on age, gender, height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were collected, body mass index has been measured. Classification of children was based on age and sex-specific BMI percentile groups as normal weight, overweight, and obese. Result: The overall prevalence of hypertension in the current study is 19.6%, (7.6%) prehypertension, (72.7%) normal, obesity prevalence is 19.1%,(15.4%) overweight and (61.6%) normal, after comparison between blood pressure values and age-sex-body mass percentile groups, the result revealed that blood pressure values were higher in obese groups (9.6%) than those in normal weight groups(6.3%) for both sex. Conclusion: Hypertension is not uncommon problem in 6–12 years old children and it is more prevalent in overweight and obese children Blood pressure should be routine and frequent checking in children, especially obese children.

Keywords

• body mass index
• hypertension
• obesity