Trends in blood pressure and hypertension among Chinese children and adolescents: China Health and Nutrition Surveys 1991-2004.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the trends in blood pressure (BP) and prevalence of hypertension among Chinese children and adolescents.


METHODS
Data were extracted from the China Health and Nutrition Survey conducted from 1991 to 2004; 8247 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years were selected for this study. Multivariate linear regression analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the secular trends in BP levels and prevalence of hypertension, respectively.


RESULTS
During the study period, there was an upward trend in BP in Chinese children and adolescents. After adjustment for gender, age and weight status, the prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension increased dramatically from 1991 to 2004, with average relative increases of 6.38% and 8.13% in children and adolescents, respectively. Overweight was strongly associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension in comparison with normal weight, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.21 (1.58-3.11) and 4.13 (3.32-5.13), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
BP levels and prevalence of hypertension increased dramatically among Chinese children and adolescents from 1991 to 2004.
Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Ya-Jun
YJ
Liang
Bo
B
Xi
Yue-Hua
YH
Hu
Chunyu
C
Wang
Jun-Ting
JT
Liu
Yin-Kun
YK
Yan
Tan
T
Xu
Ruo-Qi
RQ
Wang
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000639:trends*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D050177:Overweight; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors