Blood Pressure and Obesity in Young Adolescents in Tehran

Background: The objective of this study was to provide estimates of the prevalence of obesity among Iranian school children and to determine the association between obesity and blood pressure. Methods: During one school year (2003-2004), all children (n=2766) of the 5th stage of primary school studying in area 9 of Tehran school areas (divided by the Ministry of Education for management purposes) were screened for weight, height, and blood pressure. Findings: Of 2766 pupils, 1159 (41.9) were male and 1607 (58.1%) female. Mean weight of girls (37.1±8.3 kg) was significantly higher than that of boys (35.8±8.3 kg) (p<0.001). Girls were also significantly taller (144.1±7.6 cm) than boys (142.8±6.9 cm) (p<0.001). A significant difference was observed among mean systolic blood pressure in obese children (110.3±14.9 mmHg), overweight children (105.6±11.7 mmHg) and non-obese children (98.2±13.1 mmHg) (p<0.001). Multiple comparisons on Scheffer posthoc test showed that the differences between these three groups were all significant (p=0.001). Conclusions: In both sexes (especially females), inactivity and high-fat school snacks in school-aged children contribute to the increasing prevalence of obesity. To reduce the prevalence of adult obesity and its related diseases, like hypertension, in the future, conducting research in the prevention and/or treatment of childhood obesity is necessary.