IJCM₁25A: Prevalence of hypertension and obesity among adolescents: a school based, cross sectional study in Aligarh

Background: Hypertension is a serious medical condition and cause of premature death worldwide, with upwards of 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women having the condition. Overweight and obesity are major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases such as: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers (including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon). Recent literature suggests hypertension and obesity to be a rising health problem not only in adults but also in adolescents. The early identification and effective management of hypertension and obesity in children and adolescents is key primordial and primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and obesity and their associated factors among school going adolescents in Aligarh. Methodology: A school based cross-sectional study was carried out among 569 school students of Class-V to XII studying at schools of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Data was collected using a predesigned, structured questionnaire. Blood pressure was measured using digital blood pressure apparatus wit age appropriate cuffs and hypertension was defined using the American Academy of Paediatrics 2017 criteria. BMI was calculated using the standard formula, weight (kg)/height2 (m2), and values were compared with the WHO growth charts. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS 20.0 software. To study frequency distribution and sociodemographic characteristics, descriptive statistics were carried out. Chi square and other appropriate tests were applied. Results: In this study 569 adolescents were participated, of which 324 (56.9%) were males. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 10.7% and hypertension was 18.5%. The prevalence of obesity was 2.6%. Male gender, family history of hypertension, overweight/obesity are significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion: Approximately one fifth of the participants in this study had hypertension, highlighting the need for intervention including lifestyle modification and active case finding.