High blood pressure in 7 to 10 years old students from a rural municipality/ES

<p></p><p>Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of high blood pressure levels among schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years old in a rural municipality of the State of Espírito Santo between 2009 and 2010. The study aimed to evaluate the association of high blood pressure with age, sex and nutritional status. Method Cross-sectional study including 899 students, age of 7-10 years old, residing in a rural municipality of Espírito Santo. Data were collected through questionnaires, anthropometric and blood pressure levels measurements. We used double typing with the SPSS 17.0. Software for statistical analysis, and the chi-square hypothesis test to determine associations. Results We found prevalence of 16.2% of high blood pressure, no significant difference by sex (p=0.343) and age (p=0.47). Children who are overweight have higher prevalence of high blood pressure, as well as higher mean blood pressure. We did find significant differences between the mean systolic blood pressure and sex (p <0.001) and age (p = 0.016). Conclusion The prevalence of high blood pressure was higher in boys, who also had a higher prevalence in borderline hypertension. Overweight contributed significantly to the elevation of blood pressure.</p><p></p