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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Association of neck circumference and obesity status with elevated blood pressure in children

O O Nafiu1, A Zepeda1, C Curcio1

  • 1Section of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Journal of Human Hypertension
|October 4, 2013
PubMed

Insights

High blood pressure (BP) and obesity are rising in children. Neck circumference (NC) and body mass index (BMI) are linked to elevated BP, with wide NC and high BMI indicating higher risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity and high blood pressure (BP) are significant public health concerns.
  • Excess weight indicators like neck circumference (NC) and body mass index (BMI) are increasingly prevalent in pediatric populations.
  • Understanding the relationship between these indicators and elevated BP is crucial for early detection and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between excess weight indicators (NC and BMI) and elevated BP in children.
  • To determine if neck circumference is a reliable predictor of high blood pressure in pediatric subjects.
  • To explore the combined impact of high BMI and wide NC on the prevalence of elevated BP.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study analyzing anthropometric and BP data from 1058 children aged 6-18 years.
  • Classification of children into weight and NC categories based on established guidelines.
  • Definition of prehypertension and hypertension using percentile-based BP measurements for age, gender, and height.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of elevated BP was 29.2% (10.1% prehypertension, 19.1% hypertension).
  • Overweight and obesity rates were 19.0% and 18.7%, respectively.
  • Children with wider NC showed progressively higher rates of elevated BP across normal weight, overweight, and obese categories, with significant odds ratios observed within each BMI group.

Conclusions:

  • Increasing neck circumference and body mass index are independently associated with elevated blood pressure in children.
  • The combined presence of wide NC and high BMI is linked to substantially higher rates of elevated BP.
  • Neck circumference measurement presents a potentially valuable, non-invasive tool for identifying children at risk for elevated blood pressure.

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