Prevalence and Correlates of Elevated Blood Pressure in Chinese Children Aged 6-13 Years： a Nationwide School-Based Survey

Objective To estimate the prevalence of elevated blood pressure（EBP） in Chinese children and identify individual and family factors associated with EBP. Methods A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 using stratified cluster sampling. Participants＇ blood pressure was measured, and their parents completed a questionnaire on personal and family characteristics. Prevalence and correlates of EBP were assessed. Results Among a total of 24,333 participants, 20.2% of boys and 16.3% of girls had EBP. The prevalence of EBP increased with the ascending trend of waist circumference, Waist-to-height ratio, and body mass index. The adjusted prevalence ratios（aP Rs） for obese boys and girls were 2.50 and 2.97, respectively. Fewer urban boys（16.2%） had EBP than rural boys（21.7%）. Boys with a family history of hypertension were 12% more likely to have EBP. Children whose mothers received a college education tended to have lower likelihood of EBP; with an aP R was 0.85 among boys and 0.78 among girls. Conclusion EBP is common among obese students and those who have a family history of hypertension. A negative association between mothers＇ education levels and EBP risk in children was found.