title: Overweight and blood pressure: results from the examination of a selected group of adolescents in northern Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate blood pressure (BP) levels and their relationship with different indices of body fat in a group of adolescents, in order to evaluate the prevalence of hypertension and plan preventive and corrective strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  All high schools in the Aosta Valley region, northern Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and thirty-two adolescents of both sexes, aged 15.4 (standard deviation 0.7) years. The following parameters were measured: body weight, body height, body mass index (BMI), four skinfold thicknesses, body fat mass, waist and hip circumferences and BP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI data indicated a high prevalence of overweight subjects in both sexes, but higher in males, while the prevalence rate of obese adolescents was lower. Of the total, 11.8 % of subjects suffered from systolic hypertension, while 6.9 % suffered from diastolic hypertension. In linear correlation analysis, BMI and all adiposity indices, except waist:hip ratio, were found to be significantly associated (P ranging between 0.05 and 0.001) with both systolic BP and diastolic BP in both sexes, with r ranging between 0.152 and 0.359. Multiple regression analysis with the stepwise method showed BMI and body fat mass to have the strongest association (P < 0.001) with BP, with r ranging between 0.275 and 0.359.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unless reversed, these conditions are worrying and predict the possible development of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. There is a pressing need to develop a comprehensive medical and nutrition plan, together with preventive and corrective strategies, in school programmes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Sciences, Section of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, I-27100 Pavia, Italy. gturconi@unipv.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turconi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maccarini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bazzano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roggi
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000886:Anthropometry; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio