Preventive services: blood pressure checks at well child visits

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Colleen M Moran1, Valerie M Panzarino, Paul M Darden

  • 1Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics, 165 Cannon Street, Suite 503, P.O. Box 250853, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|October 14, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Blood pressure (BP) screening at well-child visits increased from 50% in 1985 to 61% in 1996. However, rates remain below recommendations, with high-risk children not screened more often than others.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The Task Force on Blood Pressure Control in Children recommends routine blood pressure (BP) screening during well-child visits.
  • Monitoring BP in children is crucial for early detection of hypertension and related cardiovascular risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate trends in BP screening rates during well-child visits for children aged 3-18 years between 1985 and 1996.
  • To identify factors influencing the likelihood of BP screening during these visits.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the 1985 and 1996 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NAMCS).
  • Examination of the proportion of well-child visits where BP was measured.
  • Stepwise logistic regression to identify predictors of BP screening.

Main Results:

  • Overall BP screening at well-child visits increased from 50% in 1985 to 61% in 1996.
  • Screening rates by pediatricians and family/general medicine physicians showed similar modest increases.
  • Child's age, visit location, and visit duration were significant predictors; gender, race, ethnicity, and urbanicity were not.

Conclusions:

  • While BP screening rates have improved, they have not reached the recommended levels for all children.
  • Current screening practices do not appear to prioritize high-risk children over their peers.

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