The relationship between BMI and blood pressure in children aged 7–12 years in Ankara, Turkey

• Published in: Public health nutrition 2014-11, Vol.17 (11), p.2419-2424
• Main Authors: Polat, Mustafa, Yıkılkan, Hülya, Aypak, Cenk, Görpelioğlu, Süleyman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Blood Pressure; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Children; Children & youth; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; HOT TOPIC – The WHO)s 2004 global strategy on diet, physical activity, and health: status and renewal of effort; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - etiology; Male; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight; Population studies; Pressure measurement; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Schools; Students; Turkey - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014000846

Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence of childhood hypertension. Obesity is probably the most important risk factor. The relationship between hypertension and BMI in children has not been studied in Ankara, which is the second largest city in Turkey. Cross-sectional study analysing direct data on height, weight and blood pressure of students. Population-based study in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. In three schools, 2826 students aged 7-12 years. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 7·9 %. Among the 222 hypertensive children, 124 (56 %) were boys and ninety-eight (44 %) were girls (P=0·40). In the whole group, 3·6 % had only systolic hypertension, 0·7 % had only diastolic hypertension and 3·5 % had both systolic and diastolic hypertension. The prevalences of overweight and obesity were both 13·9 %. BMI was significantly correlated with blood pressure (P