Anthropometry and blood pressure in Nigerian children

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine if there is a correlation between blood pressure and anthropometry in children of Igbo ethnicity.Subjects, Materials and Methods: One thousand, six hundred and thirty-four boys and 1669 girls were studied. Their ages ranged from 6 to 14 years. Their blood pressures, weights and heights were measured. The Quetelet's indices were determined and the correlation coefficients, r, found.Results:For boys, weight correlated (r=0.3205) more than height (r=o.2585) with systolic blood pressures. These values were nonetheless statistically significant. For their diastolic blood pressures, it was observed that all the variables showed weak correlation; weight (r=0.1785), height (r=0.1504), Quetelet's index (r=0.0828)The values for the girls showed moderate correlation of all the variables with their systolic blood pressure; weight (r=0.4249), height (r=0.3972), Quetelet's index (r=0.3915). Their diastolic blood pressures showed statistically. significant though weak correlation with the variables; height and Quetelet/'s index (r=0.1667) each, weight (r=0.1656).Conclusion: This study shows that in the Nigerian children examined, blood pressure is affected by anthropometry, and of all the anthropometric values, weight affected blood pressures most. Anthropometry influenced systolic blood pressure more than diastolic blood pressure