title: Blood pressure and BMI in adolescents in Aracaju, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and the association of overweight and obesity with high BP among adolescents in Aracaju, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study. The main outcome measure was the proportion of adolescents with high BP (sex-, age- and height-specific ≥ 95th percentile). The main predictor variables were overweight and obesity defined according to the criteria of the International Obesity Task Force. Other covariates included age, socio-economic status and leisure-time physical activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aracaju, Brazil, capital city of Sergipe State, north-eastern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 1002 adolescents (442 boys and 560 girls) aged 12-17 years selected from twenty public schools and ten private schools were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of high BP was 16.9 % (95 % CI 13.1, 21.7) in boys and 12.9 % (95 % CI 9.0, 18.0) in girls. After adjusting for age, socio-economic status and leisure-time physical activity in both boys and girls, overweight (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.93, 95 % CI 1.08, 3.48; PR = 4.34, 95 % CI 2.58, 7.30, respectively) and obesity (PR = 4.87, 95 % CI 2.35, 10.11; PR = 5.18, 95 % CI 2.67, 10.06, respectively) were found to be associated with high BP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate a high prevalence of high BP in both boys and girls in Aracaju, Brazil. Overweight and obesity were strongly associated with high BP. These findings underscore the urgent need for public health measures to prevent increasing high BP in adolescents in Brazil. Targeting intervention in adolescence may be a critical method for preventing high BP in later life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jorinde
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polderman
authors.forename: Ricardo Queiroz
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Gurgel
authors.forename: José Augusto S
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barreto-Filho
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roelofs
authors.forename: Ricardo Emanoel de O
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Jeroen S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: de Munter
authors.forename: Johannes F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wendte
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agyemang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires