Pressão arterial elevda e fatores associados em adolescentes escolares

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately one billion people are affected by systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) worldwide. This is of a particular concern, considering that SAH is one of the most important preventable causes of premature deaths. It is also known that 80% of deaths from cardiovascular diseases occur in low- or middle-income countries (WHO, 2013). The literature has recorded an increasing percentage of adolescents with SAH. Today it is known that the origin of SAH in adulthood goes back to earlier periods of life, even to the fetal period. The development of SAH is related to several factors throughout life: obesity, lack of physical activity, sedentarism, inadequate eating habits, dyslipidemia, sleeping disorders, insulin resistance and low birthweight. There is a need to verify the prevalence of the factors associated with SAH in adolescence as a way to target early intervention in the risk groups. This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, analytical study with a quantitative approach aiming to assess the prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP) and identify the associated factors among a population consisting of a representative sample of adolescent students attending the sixth to the ninth year of elementary school at the municipal public school system in the city of Montes Claros, MG. Data collection was carried out by previously trained researchers in thirteen selected schools in the second half of 2017. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection covering sociodemographic characteristics, eating habits and physical activity. For the anthropometric assessment, weight, height, waist circumference, skin fold measurement and blood pressure (BP) were measured. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the six-minute running test. Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHR) were calculated and Waist Circumference (WC) was measured. The Body Fat Percentage was estimated by the Slaughter equation. Descriptive data analysis was performed, followed by bivariate analysis; the associated variables up to the level of 20% (p ≤ 0.20) were analyzed together by means of logistic regression. The level of significance assumed for the final model was 5% (p≤ 0.05). 880 adolescents, aged 11 to 17 years, participated in the research, 52% of whom being female. The prevalence of HBP was 16.9%. The variables associated with HBP were: high BMI (OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.32-2.89) and male gender (OR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.01-2, 07). No behavioral or fitness-related variables were shown to be associated with HBP. It was concluded that HBP has a high prevalence among adolescent students and is associated with overweight and male gender.