Obesity and asymptomatic hypertension among children aged 6-13 years living in Bursa, Turkey.
BACKGROUND
Hypertension is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is known that essential hypertension begins at a very early age. Recently, there have been reports of an increase in childhood hypertension, which has been attributed to an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity. Obesity-dependent or independent asymptomatic hypertension can only be determined by random blood pressure measurements in children.


OBJECTIVE
In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of obesity and asymptomatic hypertension among children living in Bursa, Turkey.


METHODS
One thousand children living in Nilüfer district and being served by the Fethiye Bulvar Family Health Care Center were enrolled in this study. All seven family physicians working at the centre participated in the study.


RESULTS
Eighty-five children (8.5%) were determined to be hypertensive. One hundred and twelve children (11.2%) were obese. Blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) increased with age, with peak prevalence of hypertension at age 12 and of obesity at age 10.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of obesity and hypertension is high among school-age children in Turkey. Family physicians should consistently perform blood pressure and BMI measurements as a part of well child visits through late childhood.
Department of Family Medicine, Sevket Yilmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa.
Hakan
H
Demirci
Cagatay
C
Nuhoglu
Ismail Serkan
IS
Ursavas
Serhat
S
Isildak
Ebru Onuker
EO
Basaran
Mehmet Yasar
MY
Kilic
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
Childhood obesity; hypertension (high blood pressure); medical comorbidity; paediatrics; primary care; public health.