Predicting adolescent blood pressure: implications for health education practice

The study was set up to potentially determine if a stepwise multiple regression model composed of such factors as sociodemographics, attitudes, and behaviors in combination with selected biomedical measures can be used to predict adolescent at risk health conditions such as hypertension and to examine the implications for health education practice. The study population consisted of 650 ninth grade (14-16-year-old) students in the baseline survey (1981) and 606 twelfth grade students in the final survey of 1985. Data collected included clinical measures of height, weight, triceps skinfold thickness, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), resting pulse, and percent ideal body weight (PIBW). Self-reported health behaviors, attitudes, and sociodemographic variables were also assessed. Principal factor analysis with varimax rotation was employed to determine the grouping of the behavioral/attitudinal test items. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to determine the variables' potentials as predictors of blood pressure in adolescents. Significant potential predictors of male diastolic blood pressure included smoking, alcohol intake habits, obesity, pulse, race, age and parents' socioeconomic status; while predictors for the females focused on smoking, alcohol intake habits, stress, obesity, pulse and race. Potential indicators for male systolic blood pressure were smoking, alcohol habits, weight, height, race, parent's socioeconomic status; while smoking, alcohol habits, stress, obesity, pulse and race for the females. Community health promotion, prevention and educational programs directed at these potential predictors need to be implemented to encourage healthful lifestyles in the younger generation.