Associations of body mass index, physical activity and sedentary time with blood pressure in primary school children from south-west England: A prospective study

Physical Activity, but Not Body Mass Index Is Associated With Blood Pressure in Young Children

PURPOSE

This study examined associations between physical activity (PA) and obesity with blood pressure (BP) in young children. Furthermore, a possible moderating effect of obesity status was examined.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was completed with 121 children (3.96 [1.14] y). BP, weight, and height were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Z scores were calculated for BMI, systolic, and diastolic values. Accelerometry measured time spent in PA intensities. Correlations and regressions examined relationships among PA intensities, BMI z scores, and BP z scores and to determine if obesity status moderated these relationships.

RESULTS

On average, the children spent 52 minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, 31% were considered overweight/obese, and 15% were considered hypertensive. After adjusting for confounders, participation in moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was related with lower systolic and diastolic BP z scores (P < .05). BMI z score was not related to BP values. Obesity status did not moderate the relationships between time spent in PA and BP.

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in PA, but not obesity, was related to lower BP levels in young children. The impact PA has on BP is the same regardless of obesity status. Thus, young children should be encouraged to be active in different intensities to benefit the cardiovascular system.

Prolonged screen watching behavior is associated with high blood pressure among children and adolescents: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Numerous cardio-metabolic risk factors influence screen-related behaviors in children and adolescents. Numerous studies with inconsistent results revealed a relationship between blood pressure and screen time in the children and adolescents. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the data regarding the relationship between screen time and hypertension (HTN) in children and adolescents.

METHODS

We examined three electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Embase to find the recent research on the relationship between screen time and HTN up to 19 July 2022. Twenty papers were included in the final two-class and dose-response meta-analysis. We conducted subgrouping to identify the source of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

The highest category of screen time increased the odds of HTN by 8% [odds ratio (OR): 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08, 1.23; P < 0.001; I2 = 83.20%] and 1.9 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure [weighted mean difference (WMD): 1.89; 95% CI: 0.18-3.62; P = 0.030; I2 = 83.4]. However, there was no significant difference in diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, screen time in hypertensive children and adolescents was 0.79 h (47.4 min) higher than normotensive subjects (WMD: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.56; P = 0.046; I2 = 92.8). A departure from linearity was observed between increased screen time [digital video discs, personal computers, and video games and HTN (Pnonlinearity = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

This systematic meta-analysis review is the first to demonstrate a positive correlation between screen time and HTN in children and adolescents.

bp: Blood pressure analysis in R

Despite the world-wide prevalence of hypertension, there is a lack in open-source software for analyzing blood pressure data. The R package bp fills this gap by providing functionality for blood pressure data processing, visualization, and feature extraction. In addition to the comprehensive functionality, the package includes six sample data sets covering continuous arterial pressure data (AP), home blood pressure monitoring data (HBPM) and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data (ABPM), making it easier for researchers to get started. The R package bp is publicly available on CRAN and at https://github.com/johnschwenck/bp.

Changes in physical activity patterns of students from primary to secondary school: a 5-year longitudinal study

This study aimed to annually examine anthropometric characteristics and physical activity (PA) among children transitioning from fourth grade (9–10 years of age) to eighth grade (13–14 years of age) in Japan. The participants’ (n = 63) age, grade, sex, weight, height, and weight status were recorded at baseline. Accelerometry assessments were performed annually following established protocols. Time spent on activities requiring ≥ 3 metabolic equivalents (METs), 1.6–2.9 METs, and ≤ 1.5 METs were defined as moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and sedentary behavior (SB), respectively. Two linear mixed models were used to examine whether MVPA, LPA, and SB min/day changed over time. Fifty-five participants provided complete data. A significant, nonlinear, longitudinal decline in MVPA, an increase in SB, and a linear decline in LPA were observed. Changes in MVPA and SB were accelerated in seventh grade (12–13 years of age). Male sex and maintenance of normal weight status were associated with higher MVPA levels. Changes in LPA and SB were not associated with sex or weight status. During the transition period from primary to secondary school, MVPA and SB showed nonlinear accelerations. Sex and normal weight were associated with more time spent performing MVPA.

Associations Between Physical Activity and Hypertension in Chinese Children: A Cross-Sectional Study From Chongqing

Background: Childhood blood pressure is a marker for cardiovascular disease risk later in life. Few studies examined the association between physical activity (PA) and hypertension in Chinese children, and this study aimed to explore this relationship.

Methods: A cross-sectional study among pupils was conducted in Chongqing in 2014. In total, 15,203 children aged 6–12 years in Chongqing were included in this study. The duration of self-reported PA on school days and the weekend in pupils were collected with a standardized questionnaire.

Results: The results showed that, on school days, only 22.3% of boys and 17.8% of girls engaged in more than 60 min of PA per day; while on the weekend, only 38.5% of boys and 32.0% of girls engaged in at least 60 min of PA per day. There was no strong evidence for an association between PA and systolic or diastolic hypertension in boys. However, in girls, a weak negative association between PA on weekdays and hypertension was observed, and there was a significant interactive effect of PA and obesity on hypertension risk (P_{for interaction} = 0.042). In obese children, PA was positively related to the risk of hypertension.

Conclusion: The overall level of PA among pupils in Chongqing was insufficient, and a weak negative relationship between PA and hypertension was found in girls.

Factors Associated with Primary Hypertension in Pediatric Patients: An Up-to-Date

BACKGROUND

Arterial hypertension in children is considered a common alteration nowadays, mainly because obesity is a growing worldwide problem closely related to increased blood pressure. Childhood hypertension can be classified as primary or secondary, depending on the etiology. Primary or essential hypertension still has its pathophysiology not fully elucidated, and there is no consensus in the literature on most underlying mechanisms. In this review, genetic and environmental factors, including sodium and potassium intake, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, family structure, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, prematurity and low birth weight, prenatal and postnatal exposures are highlighted.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to perform an update on primary hypertension in childhood, providing clinicians and researchers an overview of the current state of the literature regarding the influence of genetic and environmental factors.

METHODS

This integrative review searched for articles on genetic and environmental factors related to primary hypertension in pediatric patients. The databases evaluated were PubMed and Scopus.

RESULTS

The studies have provided insights regarding many genetic and environmental factors, in addition to their association with the pathophysiology of primary hypertension in childhood. Findings corroborated the idea that primary hypertension is a multifactorial disease. Further studies in the pediatric population are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

The study of primary hypertension in pediatrics has utmost importance for the adoption of preventive measures and the development of more efficient treatments, therefore reducing childhood morbidity and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and other health consequences later in life.