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Blood pressure is associated with body adiposity indicators in children aged 4 to 7 years
Sarah Aparecida Vieira1, Poliana Cristina de Almeida Fonseca1, Cristiana Santos Andreoli2
1Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brasil.
Insights
Childhood obesity is linked to higher blood pressure (BP). This study found that increased body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in children correlate with elevated systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiovascular Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Adult studies link increased adiposity to hypertension.
- Research on childhood adiposity and blood pressure is limited.
- Understanding early-life risk factors for hypertension is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between blood pressure (BP) and body adiposity indicators in children.
- To control for birth conditions, sociodemographics, lifestyle, and diet in the analysis.
- To provide insights into early detection of cardiometabolic risks.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 399 children aged 4-7 years.
- Blood pressure (BP) measured using the 7th Brazilian Guidelines on Hypertension protocol.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as explanatory variables for adiposity.
Main Results:
- Positive correlations observed between BMI-for-age, WHtR, and both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
- Multivariate analysis confirmed that higher BMI and WHtR were independently associated with increased SBP and DBP.
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for confounding variables.
Conclusions:
- Increased body adiposity, indicated by BMI and WHtR, is associated with elevated BP in children.
- Recommends using BMI and WHtR in pediatric nutritional assessments.
- Highlights the importance of monitoring adiposity for early detection of BP changes and cardiometabolic risks in children.
Introduction And Objective:
Studies in adults have shown an association between increased adiposity and hypertension, but few studies have analyzed this association in childhood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between blood pressure (BP) and body adiposity indicators in children, controlling for the variables of birth conditions, sociodemographics, lifestyle and diet.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study of 399 children aged 4 to 7 years, the dependent variable was BP, measured according to the protocol established by the 7th Brazilian Guidelines on Hypertension. The explanatory variables of the study were waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI). Multiple linear regression was used to assess the independent association between adiposity and BP indicators adjusted for the variables of birth conditions, sociodemographics, lifestyle and diet. Statistical significance was set as α=5%.
Results:
BMI for age and WHtR correlated positively with systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). After multivariate analysis, higher values of BMI (model 1) and WHtR (model 2) were associated with increased SBP and DBP.
Conclusion:
Increased body adiposity, as assessed by BMI and WHtR, was associated with increased SBP and DBP among the children studied. Thus, we suggest the use of BMI and WHtR in the nutritional assessment of children to detect changes in BP and other cardiometabolic risk factors in this population.
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