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Overweight and increased blood pressure in preschool-aged children

Apolinaras Zaborskis1, Ausra Petrauskiene, Svajūne Gradeckiene

  • 1Institute for Biomedical Research, Eiveniu 4, 3007 Kaunas, Lithuania.

Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
|January 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Childhood overweight and high blood pressure are prevalent in 3-7 year olds. Over 7% were underweight, nearly 6% overweight, and over 21% had elevated blood pressure, indicating a need for preschool interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Childhood obesity and elevated blood pressure are growing public health concerns.
  • Early identification of physical development and blood pressure issues in preschoolers is crucial for long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and increased blood pressure in 3-7 year old children.
  • To establish reference criteria for body mass index and blood pressure in preschool-aged children.
  • To investigate the relationship between body mass index and blood pressure in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 1441 preschoolers aged 3-7 years in Kaunas, Lithuania.
  • Measurement of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), systolic, and diastolic blood pressure.
  • Calculation of BMI percentiles and identification of underweight (BMI ≤14 kg/m²), overweight (BMI ≥18 kg/m²), and increased blood pressure (systolic/diastolic >90th percentile).

Main Results:

  • 7.4% of children were classified as underweight and 5.8% as overweight based on BMI criteria.
  • 21.4% of children exhibited increased systolic or/and diastolic blood pressure.
  • A significantly higher prevalence of elevated blood pressure was observed in obese children compared to normal-weight children.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood overweight and elevated blood pressure are significant issues in preschool-aged populations.
  • The findings highlight the need for targeted prevention and intervention programs within preschool settings.
  • Body mass index serves as a valuable indicator for assessing physical development and associated health risks in young children.

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