Primary hypertension among a population of Nigerian secondary school adolescents: Prevalence and correlation with anthropometric indices: A cross‑sectional study

Abstract

Aim: To assess the prevalence of primary hypertension and its correlation with anthropometric indices among a population of Nigerian adolescents.

Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study of secondary school adolescents aged 10–19 years in Enugu, Nigeria, using multi‑staged sampling method. Anthropometry and blood pressures were measured using standardized instruments. Data analysis was with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 (Chicago, IL, USA).

Results: A total of 2419 adolescents (mean age, 14.80 ± 2.07 years) were included in the study. Prevalence of hypertension was 10.7%. Systolic and diastolic hypertension were observed in 232 (9.6%) and 85 (3.5%) of the  participants, respectively. Forty‑two of the 137 obese (30.7%) compared to 158 among the 1777 (7.7%) with normal body  mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001) had systolic hypertension. Waist circumference (r = 0.37) and BMI (r = 0.37) significantly and positively correlated with systolic hypertension.

Conclusion: Obese and overweight adolescents had higher prevalence of primary hypertension than their counterparts with normal BMI.

Keywords: Adolescents, anthropometry, body mass index, obesity, overweight, prevalence, primary hypertension