Pattern of arterial blood pressure among primary school children, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract EN

Objective : To measure the prevalence and identify the potential risk factors of high blood pressure BP (hypertension and pre-hypertension) among primary school children in Baghdad, Iraq.

Methods : A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted and involved a random sample of 620 primary schools students aged 10-15 years of both sexes.

Using the list of all primary schools in different localities of Baghdad, 10 were selected by simple random sampling.

A systematic random sample was applied using the list of students in each school to achieve the sample size.

A questionnaire sent to the parents to gather information on socio-demographic characteristics, dietary habits, daily physical activity, steroids use, family history of obesity and hypertension, besides parents` education and job.

Two BP measurements were done using mercury sphygmomanometer with manually inflated cuff of suitable size and the average of these reading was used.

US National Childhood BP standards were used to assess the BP stages.

Results : The prevalence of high BP was 8.1%, included 3.4% hypertension and 4.7% pre-hypertension.

Binary analysis revealed the following significant risk factors: female sex, older age, high BMI-forage, inactivity, steroid used, and family history of HT.

Logistic regression analysis applied and the following risk factors were found statistically significant: female sex (OR: 4.2; p=0.003), older age (OR: 1.6; p=0.026), high BMI-for-age (OR: 3.0; p=0.002) and positive family history of HT (OR: 2.4; p=0.045).

Conclusions : Raised BP is not rare among primary school children in Baghdad.

The potential public health impact of early onset high BP needed to be seriously addressed.