EXCESS WEIGHT AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IN SCHOOLCHILDREN: PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Abstract

Introduction: Recent studies have indicated that increases in overweight and obesity rates as well as cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, are occurring at younger ages. However, the causes and factors associated with these increases are still difficult to determine. Objective : To identify the associated factors and the prevalence of overweight and high blood pressure among schoolchildren. Methods : One thousand eight hundred sixty-eight students comprised the sample. The data were obtained through anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurements, cardiopulmonary evaluations and questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Poisson regressions (p < 0.05) were used. Results : In this sample, 28.6% and 15.9% of the students were overweight and had high blood pressure, respectively. The males were found to be more susceptible to both of the studied risk factors. The prevalence of high blood pressure among the adolescents was 1.173 - fold greater than that among the children. In contrast, adolescence itself was a protective factor in terms of overweight (RP = 0754). The prevalence of overweight in the children with increased waist circumferences and poor cardiopulmonary aptitudes were increased by 5.5 - and 1.3 - fold, respectively. Conclusion : The prevalence of overweight and high blood pressure in the school population was high in the investigated city. Cardiorespiratory aptitude, increased waist circumference and family history exhibited influences on overweight and high blood pressure.