Screening of body mass index [BMI] and blood pressure in Egyptian school children

ABSTRACT

Childhood overweight and obesity are global problems that are on the rise. Obesity in children appears to increase the risk of subsequent morbidity, whether or not obesity persists into adulthood. Outcomes related to childhood obesity include hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia. Left ventricular hypertrophy, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, obstructive sleep apnea and orthopedic and psychosocial problems. For this we aimed to study BMI and BP among Egyptian children. A cross sectional study on 816 students [425 boys and 391 girls], aged 6 to 18 years [mean age 11.4 +/- 2.8 year], almost of the same socioeconomic status. Anthropometric measurement [weight, height BMI and SDS], blood pressure four blood pressure measurements were calculated Systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], mean arterial pressure [MAP] and pulse pressure. Questionnaire for some variables as family history of obesity, hypertension and smoking, salty diet, physical activity of children were studied to all children. Prevalence of obesity and overweight was [1.5%and 2.9%], prehypertension and hypertension [1.1% and 10.5%] with no stastical significant difference among both sex. BMI SDS was positively correlated with age, SBP, MAP and pulse pressure. The risk of developing hypertension in obese children .was 1.7 higher than the risk in non obese children [Odds ratio=1.7, CI 0.4-8.0]. Given the presence of an increase of BMI SDS with age in our study, the elevated B.P values with age can be attributable to a parallel change in BMI. So children with evaluated blood pressure and high BMI will be confronted with problem of hypertension and obesity as adult with all their morbidities