Overweight and Central Adiposity in School-Age Children and Links With Hypertension

The purpose of this study of school-age children was to estimate prevalence and interrelationships of overweight, central adiposity, and hypertension. It included 1,070 children in kindergarten through sixth grade (67% Hispanic, 26% African American, mean age = 8.9 years). Measures included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic and/or diastolic hypertension identified by measurements on three separate occasions. Percentage overweight (BMI ≥95th percentile) was 28.7%, 17.9% were at risk of overweight, 28.8% had WC ≥90th percentile, and 9.4% had elevated (≥90th percentile) systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure (BP). If we had screened only for BMI and examined those with BMI ≥85th percentile or underweight for hypertension, we would have missed 26% of the children with persistently elevated BP. WC explained variance in elevated BP not explained by BMI (p < .001). Measurement of WC is easily incorporated in a school-based screening protocol.

Key words: Obesity, Hypertension, School-age children, Central adiposity, Screening