title: Anthropometric risk factors of atherosclerosis: differences between urban and rural east-Slovakian children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe selected risk factors of atherosclerosis in probands from East Slovakia, namely their regional (urban/rural), gender-related (male/female) and age (children/adolescents) differences.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The development of cardiovascular disease at a young age is influenced by anthropometric risk factors (obesity and hypertension).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 191 children and adolescents (97 males and 94 females) aged 7-18 from East Slovakia region (114 urban and 77 rural participants).
  
  
  METHODS
  Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, waist and hip circumference and skinfold thickness (subscapular, tricipital) were used to calculate the sum of body fat, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. Measured blood pressure was used to classify hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher means of waist-to-hip ratio and higher presence of obesity, hypertension, positive cardiovascular disease family history and poor lifestyle factors (cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, stress and low socioeconomic status) were found in urban children and adolescents compared to rural participants. Waist-to-hip ratio was significantly connected with stress at school in rural subjects (p = 0.038) while diastolic blood pressure was assicuated with physical inactivity in urban probands (p = 0.04). In both groups, systolic blood pressure was related to hypertension while diastolic blood pressure correlated with stress at school and hypertension (p = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of key anthropometric risk predictors and unhealthy lifestyle in East-Slovakian children and adolescents should lead to targeted regional (urban and rural) prophylaxis scheme to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (Tab. 3, Ref. 30).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. zuzana.hujova@gmail.com
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hujova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lesniakova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio