title: Higher exercise frequency associated with lower blood pressure in Hong Kong adolescents: a population-based study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the association between blood pressure and the frequency of structured physical training activity in Chinese adolescents. A total of 9558 students aged 11-18 years underwent anthropometric and blood pressure measurements in a cross-sectional growth study. Structured physical training activity was assessed by two simple self-administered questions and parents were asked to complete a questionnaire providing demographic information. Ninety per cent of eligible students participated in the study, of which 94% provided data on physical training frequency for final analysis. Of the boys, 22.6% and of the girls, 14.5% were physically active with extracurricular school exercise at least twice a week. Over half of the students did not regularly exercise except during physical education classes at school. Blood pressure had a positive correlation with body mass index (BMI). Both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were substantially decreased with increased training frequency (P<0.05). Logistic regression adjusting for age, family history of hypertension, BMI and sleep duration showed that exercising two or more times a week had a negative relation with hypertension (odds ratio: 0.63, 95%CI 0.47-0.85). In conclusion, structured physical training activity of two or more times a week has a beneficial effect on blood pressure in Hong Kong children aged 11-18 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: R Y T
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: E A S
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Fok
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors