Blood Pressure Pattern in School Children, Abadir Elementary School Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Elevation of the systemic arterial blood pressure represents one of the most common problems
in clinical medicine. In contrast to the experience in adults, the incidence of hypertension in
children is quite low.
The objective of this study was to see the pattern of BP in school aged children and its relation
to age, sex, weight and height. All children, age 6 through 12 years in Abadir Elementary School,
Lideta Sub-City, A.A, formed the study population. Blood pressure measurements were made
according to recommendations made by the second task force on Blood pressure control in
children the mean systolic and mean diastolic BP for both sexes combined was 97.86 ± 9.73 and
70.51 ± 8.60 mmHg, respectively. There was no significant difference between both the mean
systolic (p = 0.201) and diastolic (p = 0.750) of boys and girls. The blood pressure of boys
increased with age (p = 0.001) while there was no significant increment or change of BP of girls
with age (p > 0.3). from this study it was observed the height – for –age did not show an effect
on BP but the effect of weight for age was significant only on boys (p = 0.001). Though the study
had its own limitations the findings are worth to be taken up as a base line for future more
conclusive studies.