RESUMO
Blood pressure readings of 15756 coloured African schoolchildren aged between 11 and 18 years old were studied. The measurements were casual readings. The study group was not perfectly representative of the school population. However, from the practical point of view, the data may be used in the whole Ivory Coast school population in the 11 to 18 years age range. The distribution of the average readings with respect to age and sex is indicated on Table II. Abnormally high blood pressure was defined as readings greater than the average BP + 2 standard deviations, to the nearest 0,5 cm Hg (to take the practical problems of BP measurement into account). Under these conditions, all boys and girls between 11 and 18 years of age with BP greater than or equal to 150/90 (except boys of 17-18 years of age for whom the limit was 155/95) were considered to be hypertensive. According to these criteria the prevalence of hypertension in coloured African schoolchildren was: -systolic hypertension: 4,86% boys and 4,03% girls; -diastolic hypertension: 4,20% boys and 5,09% girls; -systolic or diastolic hypertension: 6,77% boys and 7,54% girls; -systolic and diastolic hypertension: 2,29% boys and 1,57% girls. In fact, these would be children "at risk" rather than hypertensive. The true number of hypertensive children would only become apparent on follow-up. A comparison with coloured African and white European schoolchildren in the same schools in Abidjan showed that the average BP readings and prevalence of hypertension was higher in the coloured population but the difference was not always statistically significant. The small number of European children made comparison difficult. The data obtained was compared to previously reported series but it was difficult to draw conclusions because of differences in methodology.
