Study on variation of blood-pressure in relation to posture among children aged 4-14 years

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONCurrently we are in the phase of epidemiological transition mainly due to the change in life style and the growing economy and so we are witnessing an increase in the prevalence of obesity and high blood pressure not only in adults but also in children.The response of blood pressure to change in body position has been used in epidemiological studies as a measure of cardiovascular reactivity.Sparrow et al studies the variation of blood pressure in different postures among the adults and finally reported that a 10-mm Hg or greater increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from the supine to standing position significantly modified the effect of seated systolic blood ABSTRACT Background: The response of blood pressure to change in body position has been used in epidemiological studies as a measure of cardiovascular reactivity. Studies had shown that the difference between the supine and seated blood pressures is positively associated with subsequent development of systemic hypertension independent of supine blood pressure. Objective of present study is to study the variation in blood pressure among children in the age group of 4-14 years in relation to the change in their posture. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area near our medical college hospital. A primary and middle school in that area was selected for our study. A total of 500 children in the age group of 4 -14 years were included in our study. Demographic profile was recorded for all children. Height, weight and BMI were measured. Blood pressure measurement was done by using the auscultation method and with appropriate sized blood pressure cuff.Results: The blood pressure shows a gradual increase as the age of the study subjects increases and there was no statistically significant difference in the blood pressure between males and females (p>0.05). Supine posture shows a comparatively higher systolic pressure and a lower diastolic pressure reading than the sitting and standing posture. The mean difference in systolic blood pressure between sitting and supine posture was less than the mean difference between sitting and standing and the mean difference between supine and standing, which was found to be very high and a similar type of result was also shown in the diastolic blood pressure and this mean difference between the postures was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: Postural changes in systolic and diastolic deserve further study as a potential risk factor for the development of hypertension as this could be easily measured in clinical practice and in epidemiological studies.