Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity and its co-morbidities are increasing worldwide posing serious public health concerns. Data regarding the profile and distribution of obesity related hypertension in pediatric population is limited.
Objective: To determine the relationship of age, gender and socio economic status to blood pressures in obese children in a representative sample of school children from a district in South India.
Methods: The study sample was defined through the stratified random cluster sampling method. Blood pressure (BP) and anthropometrical data were collected from 20,263 students in the age group 5 to 16 years in 2005–06. Obesity was defined by body mass index for gender and age. Gender, age and height were considered for defining incident hypertension. A total of 385 obese children were identified and the data was analyzed.
Results: Rural obese children had greater risk for hypertension than urban obese children(OR 2.08 [1.17 – 3.72], P value <0.011). Gender wise, obese girls were at higher risk for hypertension compared to obese boys (OR 2.01 [1.19 – 3.40], P value <0.007). Age wise, adolescent obese children (age group 12-16 years) were at higher risk for hypertension compared to preadolescent obese children (OR 1.96 [1.16 – 3.31], P value < 0.009). (Refer table).
Conclusions: There appears to be a stronger relationship of obesity with hypertension in rural children, girls and adolescents for socioeconomic, gender and age group comparisons respectively. These differences warrant detailed examination in the form of future studies.