Gender-specific prevalence and associated risk factors of high normal blood pressure and hypertension among multi-ethnic Chinese adolescents aged 8-18 years old

Aim. To date, accurate reports about the prevalence of high normal blood pressure (BP) and hypertension among Chinese adolescents have been rare. We examine the sex-specific and age-specific prevalence of high normal BP and hypertension, and the associated risk factors among multi-ethnic Chinese adolescents from a large and representative sample. Methods. 29,997 adolescents aged 8-18 years old received blood pressure measurement on one clinical visit. Results. The overall prevalence was 4.15% for hypertension (4.73% for boys and 3.62% for girls) and 29.85% for high normal BP (33.40% for boys and 26.65% for girls). The odds ratios (ORs) increased with age, but the absolute changes of ORs were significantly different between boys and girls. Compared with that of the Han counterparts, the risk of high normal BP was 1.960-fold, 1.283-fold and 1.618-fold for Yi boys, Mongolian boys and Yi girls, respectively, whereas the OR was 0.440 for Tibetan boys, 0.492 for Tibetan girls and 0.794 for Korean girls. Compared with those of normal weight, overweight and obese adolescents had significantly increased risk of high normal BP (OR = 3.377 for obese boys and OR = 2.009 for overweight boys; OR = 2.865 for obese girls and OR = 1.738 for overweight girls). Rural adolescents had a higher risk of hypertension than those living in urban areas. Conclusion. The prevalence of high normal BP and hypertension was high in Chinese adolescents. Age, ethnicity, obesity, overweight, abnormal waist circumference, family history of cardiovascular diseases and dwelling at rural districts were significantly associated with pediatric high normal BP or hypertension.