Anthropometric determinants of resting blood pressure and heart rate of Nigerian school children

Casual blood pressure of adolescents attending public secondary schools in Maiduguri, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

Although evidence exists that adolescents' hypertension could lead to adults' hypertension, it is a general belief that measures for early detection and treatment of this condition is seldom undertaken especially in medically underserved communities such as Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria. This study investigated the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among adolescents in Maiduguri, Nigeria, and explored the association between undiagnosed hypertension and adolescents' physical characteristics and parental socio-demographic factors.

METHODS

Participants' physical characteristics were assessed, and information on their socio-demographics including parental socioeconomic status were obtained. Blood pressures and heart rates of the participants were also measured three times at 5-10-min period.

RESULTS

The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among the students was 13.2 %, and overwhelming majority (82.4 %) of the hypertensive students were in the prehypertensive stage, while 17.6 % were in the stage 1 classification of hypertension. Higher prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was observed for the females compared to the male adolescents (X (2) = 15.49, p = 0.001), and presence of undiagnosed hypertension is positively but tenuously linked to age (r = 0.11, p = 0.01), body mass index (r = 0.10, p = 0.01), and parental income (r = 0.26, p = 0.02) of the students.

DISCUSSION

This study suggests that any effective programs designed to mitigate undiagnosed hypertension among adolescents in this city should include strategies that address possible barriers to physical activity and exercise among female adolescents in the society.

Obesity and blood pressure levels of adolescents in Abeokuta, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

We determined the prevalence of general and central obesity and their relationship with blood pressure levels among adolescents in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

METHODS

We selected 423 adolescents from seven schools in Abeokuta, Nigeria, using a multistage random-sampling technique. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and blood pressures were measured.

RESULTS

Twenty-one (5%) children had general obesity and 109 (24.5%) had central obesity. Of those with general obesity, 20 (95.1%) children were centrally obese. With simple linear regression analysis, BMI and WC explained 10.7 and 8.4%, respectively of the variance in systolic blood pressure (SBP), and 3.6 and 2.7%, respectively of the variance in diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Following logistic regression analysis, BMI was the major factor determining SBP levels (OR 0.8, 95% CI: 0.65-0.99, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

BMI remains an important anthropometric screening tool for high blood pressure in Nigerian adolescents.

Anthropometric Indices Associated with Variation in Cardiovascular Parameters among Primary School Pupils in Ile-Ife

Purpose. This study investigated the anthropometric indices associated with variations in cardiovascular parameters among primary school pupils in Ile-Ife. Method. One thousand and twenty-six pupils (age range 6-14 years, mean age 10.12 years) from ten schools were recruited with parents' informed consent. Anthropometric (Height (Ht), Weight (Wt), Abdominal Circumference (AC)) and cardiovascular (Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Heart Rate (HR)) parameters were measured using standard instruments and procedures. Blood pressure (BP) was measured after ten minutes of quiet sitting. Body Mass Index (BMI), Rate Pressure Product (RPP) and Pulse Pressure (PP) were estimated. Results. Age, Ht, Wt, BMI, and AC correlated significantly (P < .01) with BP and PP. AC and BMI were predictors of BP, HR, RPP, and PP. Conclusion. Significant correlations exist between age, Ht, Wt, BMI, AC, and BP with weight being a more viable predictor of SBP and age a more viable predictor of DBP.