Epidemiological aspects of obesity and systemic hypertension amongschool children of Western Ukraine.

INTRODUCTION: Systemic hypertension (SH) is a major long-term health condition and is the leading cause of premature death among adults throughout the world, including developed, developing, and lesser developed countries.In recent years there has been a progressive increase in SH among children and adolescents. Epidemiological studies demonstrated an overall increase in the prevalence of hypertension. SH is rarely recorded isolated and is often combined with obesity or the metabolic syndrome.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of our research was to study the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and systemic hypertension in Ukrainian school children aged 10-16 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 540 pupils of two secondary schools in the city of Ternopil, aged 10-16 years, were involved. Blood pressure was measured under standard conditions using the standard technique. To assess the physical development of each child, indicators of body weight, height, waist circumferences and body mass index were compared with percentile tables.

RESULTS: The study has demonstrated that the prevalence of overweight is 11.1% and obesity 4.8% among pupils of Ternopil. The elevated blood pressure was found in 50 % of overweight or obese pupils. SH was found in 13.3% of children (11.8% of girls and 15.1% of boys), where pre-hypertension (p<0,01) and SH 1st (p<0,01) stages were observed twice as often in boys than in girls, and normal BP was recorded less frequently (p<0,01).

CONCLUSIONS: The boys are three times more often obese than girls and 1.4 times more often overweight. The blood pressure is directly correlated with increased BMI, waist and hip circumference in the examined children. The abdominal obesity is a predictor of hypertension in adolescents. The result of the present study has demonstrated the real epidemiology of obesity and systemic hypertension in children and adolescents, and should motivate family doctors and paediatricians to prevent this pathology in Ukraine.