PREVALENCE OF PREHYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION AMONG ADOLESCENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NORTHWEST OF IRAN

Background and Aim: There is little information about the prevalence of hypertension among adolescents in Iran. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the blood pressure (BP) status in adolescent students attending high school in Bostan-Abad, IranMethods: A sample of 480 students was selected by random sampling from five high school of Bostan-Abad. BP, weight, and height of the subjects were measured and BMI (body mass index) was calculated. BP measurements were categorized as normal, prehypertension, or hypertension using the 2004 Fourth Report blood pressure screening recommendations. Hypertension in children and adolescents continues to be defined as systolic BP (SBP) and/or diastolic BP (DBP) that is, on repeated measurement, at or above the 95th percentile for sex, age, and height. BP between the 90th and 95th percentile in childhood is now termed prehypertension . Overweight and obesity were defined according to WHO 2007 BMI Cut Off Points for adolescents.Results: The prevalence rates of systolic prehypertension and diastolic prehypertension were 2.1% and 5.2%, respectively. Systolic hypertension was found in 4.0% and diastolic hypertension in 3.5%. Obesity and overweight were seen in 5.8% and 22.3% of subjects, respectively. Conclusion: Prehypertension and hypertension were prevalent in the studied population. Further studies are needed to identify other risk factors for high BP in our studied students. Routine BP measurements in adolescent students of our community are suggested to prevent high BP in adolescence and its complications in later life.

کلیدواژه ها:

Blood pressure ، Students ، High school ، Iran