Abstract:

Aim: The study was conducted to determine average arterial blood pressures in children of elementary school age and assess whether there was any correlation with sex, height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), and surface area. Material and Methods: Totally 905 students (451male (49%), 454 female (51%)) in 7-15 age grup from four different schools with several socioeconomic and cultural characteristics were included in the study by group sampling method. Arterial blood pressures of each children were measured three times, average of the last two measurements were recorded as the blood pressure of the child, and general physical examinations and antropometric measurements were performed. Fiftieth, 75th, 90th, and 95th blood pressure percentiles were determined for each age grup. Children with systolic and diastolic blood pressure above 95th percentile according to the US Second Task Force Group levels were accepted as hypertension. Result: Accordingly, systolic hypertension was detected in 40 (4.4%) children (12 male, 28 female), diastolic hypertension in 28 (3.1%) children (6 male, 22 female), and both systolic and diastolic hypertension in 15 (1.6%) children (4 male, 11 female). Systolic and diastolic hypertension proportions were 1.8% and 1.2% in the schools with high socioeconomic levels, and 2.5% and 1.8% in the schools with low socioeconomic levels, respectively. A significant relation was found between socioeconomic level of the school and systolic hypertension depending on age and sex (p=0.031), but no significant relation with diastolic hypertension (p=0.086). Conclusion: While a positive correlation was detected with Pearson’s Correlation Test between both systolic and diastolic hypertensions and age, height, body weight, BMI, and surface area of the child in both sexes, no significant correlation was found with sex. Key Words: Blood pressure, body weight, childhood, height, sex

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