High Blood Pressure, Overweight and Obesity Among Rural Scholars from the Vela Project: A Population-Based Study from South America
High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention, 06/21/2012

Tringler M et al. – In this rural population, the evaluation of blood pressure in children and adolescents is not a routine measure. This data indicate a low prevalence of high blood pressure. These data could argue differences between rural and urban scholars. These data demonstrate a close relationship between increased overweight, obesity and sedentary lifestyle with the development of high blood pressure. Authors emphasize the importance of blood pressure controls and the need to implement programmes to modify sedentary lifestyle in rural populations.

• The study population for this cross–sectional study was composed of rural children and adolescent scholars from Maria Ignacia Vela.
• Pre–hypertension and hypertension were defined on the basis of percentiles from the average of three blood pressure measurements taken on a single occasion.
• In patients with three blood pressure measurements above the 90th percentile, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed to confirm hypertension or pre–hypertension.
• BMI was categorized by using the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts.

• Authors studied 334 scholars (aged 5–18 years).
• Mean age was 11.4 years. In 70% of the subjects, blood pressure had never been measured.
• The prevalence of high blood pressure was 4.4%.
• Students with sedentary habits were 3.67–fold more likely to develop high blood pressure than their physically active counterparts (odds ratio [OR] 3.67; 95% CI 1.08, 12.46; p=0.037).
• Obese students were more likely to develop hypertension than the students with normal weight (OR=5.17; 95% CI 1.52, 17.60; p=0.02).
• Male students had a 3.4–fold higher risk of developing high blood pressure than females.