Prevalence of hypertension and its association with obesity among school children aged 6-15 living in Sakarya Province in Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIM Childhood hypertension and its association with obesity are becoming important issues worldwide. The prevalence of hypertension and obesity are growing in both developed and developing countries. This paper aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension among school-aged children in Sakarya (western part of Turkey) and to determine whether or not obesity is associated with hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twelve schools were randomly selected from an area in the center of the Sakarya. A total of 2166 students participated in the study. The students were visited at school, and their weights, heights, and blood pressures were measured. The World Health Organization references were used to determine the prevalence of overweightness, obesity, and hypertension. RESULTS The prevalences of hypertension and obesity were 15.1% (n = 326) and 18.0% (n = 390), respectively. Overweightness, obesity included, was found to be present in 26.3% of the children. Sex and obesity were found to be associated with hypertension; nevertheless, a positive family history of hypertension was not associated with hypertension in children. CONCLUSION The prevalence of obesity and hypertension are high among school children of 6-15 years of age in Sakarya. Obesity is associated with hypertension. Blood pressure measurements should be part of routine clinical examination, especially in obese children.