Prevalence and anthropometric predictors of high blood pressure in schoolchildren from João Pessoa - PB, Brazil.

BACKGROUND Arterial hypertension (AH) belongs to the group of cardiovascular diseases with the highest mortality in the world and its onset can occur in childhood. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) in schoolchildren from public schools and its association with anthropometric indicators. METHODS The present was a cross-sectional study, consisting of a random sample of 750 schoolchildren aged 6 to 9 years from public schools of the city of Joao Pessoa, state of Paraiba, Brazil. The data were collected by a previously trained team. BP was measured by auscultation, using a stethoscope and an aneroid sphygmomanometer. The collected anthropometric data were weight, height and abdominal circumference. Chi-square and Student's t association tests were used to compare means, both with a level of significance of 5%. Three logistic regression models were constructed, correlating high BP with the anthropometric variables to find a better prediction model. RESULTS The prevalence of high BP levels was 13.6%. The body mass index (BMI) variable presented a significant association with the increase in BP levels (p < 0.0001) and a higher odds ratio (OR = 1.17). The increase in the BP levels also occurred with the increase in weight (p < 0.0001) and abdominal circumference (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION The identified association between excess weight with high BP levels emphasizes the need for intervention and for nutritional status control measures, such as dietary education programs aimed at the prevention and treatment of obesity as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in the pediatric and older age ranges.