[Family aggregation of primary hypertension among children and adolescents in Beijing].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the association between histories of hypertension in parents and level of blood pressure in their children so as to provide strategy for early intervention.


METHODS
19 088 children aged 6-17 years were selected in Beijing with stratified random cluster sampling method, and data on influencing factors including parental history of hypertension and other related environmental factors were collected. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were examined. SPSS 13.0 was used for data analyses.


RESULTS
The average prevalence of high blood pressure in children and adolescents was 9.13% based on the blood pressure criteria Beijing Children and Adolescents Metabolic Syndrome (BCAMS) set in 2004. Familial aggregation of hypertension in children and adolescents was observed (P < 0.001). There were positive associations between the numbers of parents with history of hypertension and both SBP and DBP of their offspring. Partial regression coefficients appeared to be 0.980 (95% CI: 0.524-1.437) and 0.832 (95% CI: 0. 463-1.201) respectively, after controlling for confounding variables including gender, age, residential regions, body mass index (BMI), pubertal development, histories of smoking and drinking alcohol, fat intakes, physical exercises, parents' education level etc. Results from multiple factor logistic regression analysis showed that when compared with children whose parents did not have hypertension, the odds ratios of children having high blood pressure with only paternal history, only maternal history or with both parental histories were 1.688 (1.385-2.059), 1.559 (1.164-2.087) and 1.273 (0.673-2.406), respectively, after adjustment for confounding factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Parental history of hypertension seemed to be an important independent risk factor for high blood pressure to their offspring. Heredity factors should be emphasized in the development of prevention and intervention on hypertension in children and adolescents.
Xi
Bo
B
Department of Epidemiology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China.
Mi
Jie
J
Wang
Li
L
Duan
Jia-Li
JL
Zhao
Di
D
Zhang
Ming-Ming
MM
Cheng
Hong
H
Hou
Dong-Qing
DQ
D000293:Adolescent; D015982:Bias; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies