Added-on salt, socio-economic status and blood pressure in Nigerian adolescents

Abstract

The prevalence of (pre)hypertension and its relationship with added-on salt and socio-economic status (SES) is under-reported in sub-Saharan Africa, and thus was studied in 315 adolescents (57.8% girls) living in Umuahia, Nigeria. Standard procedures were used for all measurements. (Pre)hypertension were defined using the blood pressure-to-height ratio cut-off points published recently for Nigerian adolescents. Appropriate statistical tools were used for the data analyses. Prehypertension was found in 15.6% of the population (12.0% boys; 18.1% girls) while 17.8% of the population (18.8% boys; 15.4% girls) were hypertensive. Added-on salt did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect the the prevalence of (pre)hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension (but not prehypertension) was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by SES (when middle and upper SES each are compared to low SES, within the sexes). Age and anthropometric variables, but not added-on salt and SES, were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with measures of blood pressure (BP) [especially systolic blood pressure, SBP (positively) and systolic blood pressure to height ratio, SBPHR (negatively)]. Though SES significantly affected the prevalence of hypertension, there was no significant association between either added-on salt or SES, and BP.

Keywords: adolescents, blood pressure, hypertension, salt, socioeconomic status

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 3 (2013)