Prevalence of obesity and hypertension in children and determination of associated factors by CHAID analysis

Prevalence of high blood pressure and its associated factors among students in Shenyang, China: A cross-sectional study

There is growing evidence that the prevalence of high blood pressure is increasing, and it may have serious consequences. However, research on the prevalence and influencing factors of high blood pressure among primary and secondary school students is still relatively scarce. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of high blood pressure among primary and secondary school students in Shenyang, in order to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and management of this disease. From April to May 2020, 4892 students aged 7 to 17 years were selected as the survey subjects, and on-site physical measurements and questionnaire surveys were conducted. The prevalence of high blood pressure was described. Restricted cubic spline was used to analyze the dose-response relationship between sleep duration, BMI and the risk of high blood pressure. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors. Multiplicative and additive models were used to analyze the interaction between sleep duration and BMI. The results showed that the overall prevalence of high blood pressure among students aged 7 to 17 years in Shenyang was 9.9%, with a higher prevalence in females than males (12.1% vs 7.9%) and in urban areas than suburban areas (11.8% vs 7.7%). The prevalence was lowest in students with normal weight (8.3%) and highest in those who were obese (12.5%). The prevalence fluctuated to some extent among different age groups, but overall, it increased with age, with the lowest prevalence in primary school students (7.0%), 11.4% in mild school students, and the highest prevalence of 14.3% in high school students. Multivariable analysis showed that the risk of high blood pressure in female students was 1.90 times higher than that in male students (95% CI: 1.54-2.35), and the risk in suburban areas was 0.65 times lower than that in urban areas (95% CI: 0.52-0.81). Students with a BMI ≥ 21 kg/m2 had a 1.58 times higher risk than those with a BMI < 21 kg/m2(95% CI: 1.28-1.96), while those with a sleep time ≥ 8 hours had a 0.80 times lower risk than those with a sleep time < 8 hours (95% CI: 0.65-0.99). Exercise can significantly reduce the risk of high blood pressure, while using electronic devices for more than 0.5 hours significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure. BMI and sleep duration have no interaction effect on the risk of high blood pressure. To reduce the prevalence of high blood pressure, students should reduce the use of electronic devices, ensure adequate exercise, maintain a reasonable weight, and ensure sufficient sleep.

The Increase in Childhood Obesity and Its Association with Hypertension during Pandemics

There has been a major ongoing health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's lives, including lifestyle and overall health. Enforcement of prevention measures, such as school closures and social distancing, has significantly affected children's daily routines and activities. This perspective manuscript aims to explore the rise in childhood obesity and its association with hypertension during pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruptions in children's routines, including reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behavior, and changes in dietary patterns. These factors, coupled with the psychological impact of the pandemic, have contributed to an alarming increase in childhood obesity rates. This paper has highlighted the concerning increase in childhood obesity and hypertension during pandemics. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviors, and changes in dietary patterns, have contributed to the rise in these health conditions. It is crucial to recognize the long-term consequences of childhood obesity and hypertension and the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address them.

Prevalence and associated factors of pediatric hypertension in Jazan region, south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A pilot cross-sectional study

Hypertension (HTN) is a primary global health concern. Moreover, according to the 2010 Global Burden of Disease, hypertension accounted for roughly a quarter of cardiovascular disease fatalities and 1.9 percent of all deaths in Saudi Arabia in 2010. Also, hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, morbidity, and mortality. However, assessing blood pressure (BP) and preventing hypertension among children and adolescents has become a global priority. This study aims to determine the prevalence of hypertension among children in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Also, to determine the common risk factors associated with pediatric hypertension. We conducted this cross-sectional study among boys and girls aged 6-14 years visiting Al-Rashid Mall, one of the two main malls in Jazan city, the capital of Jazan region, Saudi Arabia, between November 2021 and January 2022. We included children willing to participate in the study after obtaining their parents' consent and children's assent. We used a standardized questionnaire to interview the parents to collect the children's data. We also measured the children's resting BP. Then we classified the measurements according to the updated International Pediatric Hypertension Association (IPHA) chart. We also measured the height and weight of the children and calculated their BMI. We used SPSS version 25 for the data entry and analysis. Our results showed that the prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was insignificantly higher in females (11.84% and 12.65%) compared to males (11.52% and 11.52%), respectively. Our participants' main associated factors with prehypertension and hypertension were overweight, obesity, and family income. Pediatric hypertension and prehypertension were highly prevalent in Jazan region. Therefore, being overweight and obese should be considered risk factors for pediatric hypertension. Our study emphasizes the need for early intervention to prevent pediatric HTN, particularly among overweight and obese children.

Change in Prevalence of Hypertension among Korean Children and Adolescents during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Population-Based Study

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the prevalence of obesity increased globally; this may be associated with hypertension incidence. However, investigations on the changes in the prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents are limited. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of hypertension among 1428 youths aged 10-18 years using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2018-2020. We assessed the prevalence of hypertension according to sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and residential district. The prevalence of hypertension increased from 7.1% to 12.5% in all participants. In the sex-specific analysis, the prevalence was found to be increased in boys. In the age-specific analysis, the prevalence was found to be increased in youths aged 13-15 years. In the BMI-specific analysis, an increase in the prevalence was prominent in the normal BMI group. In the residential district-specific analysis, the prevalence of hypertension among youth increased in urban areas. Our results show that the prevalence of hypertension increased among Korean children and adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak. These findings suggest the importance of close monitoring of hypertension among youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Service Needs from a Household Perspective: An Empirical Study in Rural Empty Nest Families in Sinan and Dangyang, China

This study aimed to explore the health service needs of empty nest families from a household perspective. A multistage random sampling strategy was conducted to select 1606 individuals in 803 empty nest households in this study. A questionnaire was used to ask each individual about their health service needs in each household. The consistency rate was calculated based on their consistent answers to the questionnaire. We used a collective household model to analyze individuals’ public health service needs on the family level. According to the results, individuals’ consistency rates of health service needs in empty nest households, such as diagnosis and treatment service (H1), chronic disease management service (H2), telemedicine care (H3), physical examination service (H4), health education service (H5), mental healthcare (H6), and traditional Chinese medicine service (H7) were 40.30%, 89.13%, 98.85%, 58.93%, 57.95%, 72.84%, and 63.40%, respectively. Therefore, family-level health service needs could be studied from a family level. Health service needs of H1, H3, H4, H5, and H7 for individuals in empty nest households have significant correlations with each other (r = 0.404, 0.177, 0.286, 0.265, 0.220, p < 0.001). This will be helpful for health management in primary care in rural China; the concordance will alleviate the pressure of primary care and increase the effectiveness of doctor–patient communication. Health service needs in empty nest households who took individuals’ public needs as household needs (n = 746) included the H4 (43.3%) and H5 (24.9%) and were always with a male householder (94.0%) or at least one had chronic diseases (82.4%). Health service needs in empty nest households that considered one member’s needs as household needs (n = 46) included the H1 (56.5%), H4 (65.2%), H5 (63.0%), and H7 (45.7%), and the member would be the householder of the family (90.5%) or had a disease within two weeks (100.0%). In conclusion, family members’ roles and health status play an important role in health service needs in empty nest households. Additionally, physical examination and health education services are the two health services that are most needed by empty nest households, and are suitable for delivering within a household unit.