Variations in blood pressure of adolescents in relation to sex and social factors in a rural area of Haryana.

ABSTRACT

Adolescent students of a rural block were studied to find out variation in blood pressure in relation to sex, caste and socioeconomic status. Females had significantly higher mean values of blood pressure; both systolic and diastolic. There was significant variation in systolic blood pressure amongst adolescents of various socio- economic classes. Prevalence of systolic hypertension (95 percentile) was higher in adolescents of upper middle social class and diastolic hypertension in Prestige castes. It is suggested that screening for hypertension should be done at school leaving age and high risk adolescents should be advised about periodic check-up, proper diet, salt restrictions and exercise so that frank hypertension could be prevented in adulthood.