Prevalence and Influence Factors of Hypertension Among Children and Adolescents in a Certain Area of Northeast China

Abstract OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents in a certain area of Northeast China and analyze its influencing factors, so as to provide an important basis for preventing hypertension among children and adolescents. METHODS The data of this study were from the project “Monitoring and Intervention of Students’ Common Diseases and Health Influencing Factors in a Northeast Area in 2021.” Using the cluster random sampling method, two primary schools, two junior high schools, and two senior high schools were randomly selected from a certain area of Northeast China, and 11,367 children and adolescents aged 7–17 were included as the research objects. Self-made questionnaires were used to collect gender, age, nationality, residence, and family history of hypertension. Blood pressure, height, and weight were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors of hypertension. RESULTS In this survey, the detection rate of hypertension was 25.0% (2845/11,367). With the increase in age, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed an upward trend in both boys and girls. Boys had higher systolic blood pressure than girls in the same age group (P < 0.05). In the 10-, 13-, 14-, and 17-year-old groups, boys had higher diastolic blood pressure than girls (P < 0.05). The hypertension detection rate was higher in boys than in girls (25.9% vs. 24.1%, χ2 = 4.521, P = 0.033). The hypertension detection rate was higher in the 13–17 age group than that in the 7–12 age group (29.2% vs. 21.6%, χ2 = 86.766, P < 0.001). The obesity subjects had a higher hypertension detection rate than the overweight subjects, which in turn was higher than the subjects with normal/underweight BMI (37.7% vs. 26.5% vs. 19.4%, χ2 = 350.612, P < 0.001). The subjects from the cities had a higher detection rate than the subjects from rural areas (26.0% vs. 23.9%, χ2 = 6.286, P = 0.012). Those with a family history of hypertension had a significantly higher detection rate than those without (41.0% vs. 23.8%, χ2 = 116.937, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that older age (13–17 age group, odds ratio [OR] = 1.519, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.392–1.658), overweight (OR = 1.448, 95% CI 1.284–1.633), obesity (OR = 2.524, 95% CI 2.282–2.791), urban residence (OR = 1.097, 95% CI 1.006–1.198), and a family history of hypertension (OR = 1.823, 95% CI 1.565–2.123) were risk factors for hypertension in children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence rate of hypertension among children and adolescents in a certain area of Northeast China is at a high level, and the risk factors of hypertension are older age, overweight, obesity, from city, and having a family history of hypertension.