High Blood Pressure in Minor Children in the city of João Pessoa – Paraíba– Brazil

Abstract

Objective: A cross sectional study was carried out to assess high blood pressure prevalence amongst children between 3 to 8 years old using an intentional sample of 62 children. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associating factors of high blood pressure such as nutritional status, dietary pattern, family story of the disease and physical activity, amongst these children from Joao Pessoa city, in Northeastern Brazil. Inclusion criterion was living in the neighborhood area of a Primary Health Care Unit and to be assisted by the nutritional surveillance service. Material and Methods: Blood pressure was measured according to the Update on the 1987 Task Force Report on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. Body Mass Index evaluated the nutritional status: over 85 percentile was considered overweight and over 95 percentile by age and sex was considered obesity. An investigation regarding questions about qualitative and quantitative food intake, timetable meals, food cooking methods, family hypertension occurrence and level of practiced physical activity was performed to the children who showed high blood pressure. Results: Two cases (3.2%) of hypertension were found on evaluated children and six (9.7%) of the cases were considered borderline. Those had immediate family cases of the disease. The dietary survey revealed negative characteristics that favor the appearance of hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and cardiovascular disease. It was detected a high prevalence of children between three and eight years with high blood pressure. Overweight and obesity also had high prevalence. Conclusion: It is believed that there is a strong association of overweight with hypertension in childhood, as well as other risk factors such as family history, dietary patterns, especially the high intake of sodium and fat, and a sedentary lifestyle. DESCRIPTORS Hypertension. Overweight. Obesity. Child Health.