A study on prevalence of pre-hypertension in relation to various obesity indicators in tenth standard healthy school children aged 14 to 16 years -

Background:  This study was carried out to know the correlation and percentage prevalance of pre-hypertension among healthy 14 to 16 year 10th standard adolescent school children and its relation to obesity indicators BMI, waist circumference, waist/height ratio. Methods: A cross sectional study done in schools of Madikeri taluka. 155 healthy adolescent school children of 10th standard aged 14-16 years were examined, Height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure were measured using standard protocols. Children were categorized according to sex, government/private school and three obesity indicators separately using Indian standard percentile charts. Percentage prevalence of pre-hypertension (BP >90th percentile) varying with all variables noted. Data obtained analysed by descriptive and analytic statistics by using R statistical software and SSPS-16. P value 27 Eq. As per waist circumference percentage prevalence of high BP was 11.36% at 95th percentile. As per waist/height ratio percentage prevalence was 11.9% at 95th percentile. Prevalance of overweight according to BMI (>23 Eq) is 8.48%, WC (>90th p) is 7.77%, WHtR (>95th p ) is 5.81%. Correlation between all obesity indicators and pre-hypertension were highly significant (p value >0.001). Conclusions:  Percentage prevalence of pre-hypertension increases as the Percentile value of all three obesity indicators increases. Correlation between pre-hypertension and all three obesity indicators was highly significant with BMI the strongest.