Assessment of risk factors for arterial hypertension in school adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: essential arterial hypertension of the adult has its onset in childhood.

Objective: to assess the influence of risk factors of essential arterial hypertension in adolescents of the Antonio Rodríguez Secundary School, in the municipality of Colón, province of Matanzas.

Materials and methods: analytical study (prospective cohort observational) that constitutes a cut of the project "Prevention and control of hypertension in adolescents," of the Teaching Policlinic Dr. Carlos J. Finlay, in the period February to June 2016. Intentional non-probabilistic sampling, by criteria that included those 7th grade students who accepted, like their parents, to participate in the study. They were interviewed, measured, and had blood pressure measured. Sample: 160 teenagers. Variables: sex, body mass index, sedentarism, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol intake, excessive salt intake, inadequate eating habits, low birth weight, maintained stress and family pathological history of hypertension. The SPSS 21 statistical package was used. Chi squared statistical test with µ = 0.05.

Results: statistical significance was evidenced in innapropriate eating habits, family history of arterial hypertension, sedentarism and body mass index ≥ 25 in the onset of hypertension. 9 adolescents were identified without risk factors, all of them with normal arterial tension. 61,1 % showed three or more factors, including 100 % of the diagnosed hypertensives (5), and 17 prehypertensive ones (54,4 %).

Conclusions: unhealthy ways and lifestyles and the presence of three or more risk factors were relevant in students high blood pressure.