Key result
The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to ~97% higher odds of hypertension in early adolescents.
Why the study?
There is a paucity of data on objective changes in health indicators such as blood pressure, hypertension, and weight among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Does the COVID-19 pandemic increase blood pressure and weight in early adolescents?
Cross-Sectional (n=4,065)
Yes
Does the COVID-19 pandemic increase blood pressure and weight in early adolescents?
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with significantly higher rates of hypertension, increased diastolic blood pressure, and greater weight gain among early adolescents.
Higher adolescent BP and weight during pandemic merit surveillance; hypothesis-generating for sustained risk and needs longitudinal confirmation.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant disruptions in the lifestyle behaviors of adolescents; however, there is a paucity of data on objective changes in health indicators of adolescents such as blood pressure, hypertension, and weight. The aim of this study is to quantify differences in blood pressure and weight before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 2018 to 2020, corresponding to the second follow-up year (Year 2) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Among 4,065 early adolescents (mean age 12.00, 49.4% female, 55.5% white), 3.4% vs 6.4% of adolescents had hypertension pre-pandemic vs during the pandemic (p < 0.001). The pandemic was associated with a 4.65 percentile (95% CI 2.65, 6.66) higher diastolic blood pressure, and a 1.68 kg (95% CI 0.51, 2.85) higher weight when adjusting for covariates. The pandemic was associated with a 1.97 higher odds of hypertension (95% CI 1.33, 2.92) compared to pre-pandemic when adjusting for covariates. Future studies should explore mechanisms and longitudinal trends in blood pressure among adolescents as they return to pre-pandemic lifestyle behaviors.
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Nagata et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=4,065). COVID-19 pandemic vs. Pre-COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated on Hypertension (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.33, 2.92, p=0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 1.97 higher adjusted odds of hypertension (6.4% vs 3.4%) among early adolescents compared to the pre-pandemic period.
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