Breastfeeding duration and blood pressure among Brazilian adolescents

Objective: To assess the relationship between breastfeeding duration and blood pressure in a large birth cohort of Brazilians followed from birth to adolescence. Methods: All 5914 hospital births occurring in Pelotas in 1982 (over 99% of all deliveries) were studied prospectively. Detailed information on feeding practices was prospectively collected during childhood. In 1997 and 2001 we attempted to trace a sample of the cohort, whereas in 2000 we identified the male subjects when presenting for the army recruitment exam. Blood pressure measurements were taken in 1997 for both sexes, males in 2000 and females in 2001. Results: Information on breastfeeding collected between 1983 and 1986 was available for 90.8% of the 5914 original cohort subjects. We managed to follow 1076, 2250 and 1031 subjects in 1997, 2000 and 2001, respectively. Total breastfeeding duration was not associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adolescence. Diastolic blood pressure at the age of 15 y (1997) was higher among girls who had been predominantly breastfed for at least 4 mo. After controlling for confounding variables (family income, maternal education at birth and maternal BMI at birth, skin colour, birthweight, gestational age, maternal smoking during pregnancy, adolescent smoking and alcohol drinking), the strength of the association was reduced and the 95% confidence interval encompassed the other blood pressure estimates. Furthermore, such association was not replicated in the 2001 follow-up visit.

Conclusion: Breastfeeding duration was not related to blood pressure in adolescence.     

Obesity intervention among African-American children and adolescents

Often, researchers and clinicians approach the African-American community from a deficit model with African Americans viewed as having less desirable health practices and higher disease risk; however, in developing interventions for African Americans, it is important to keep in mind positive aspects of black culture as they relate to obesity. For example, the cultural acceptance of a larger body type and less negative views toward overweight individuals need not be viewed as problematic or abnormal. In fact, it could be argued that majority culture has a dysfunctional view of body image and obesity. The fact that whites are less likely to be overweight than African Americans may stem from a value system that places undue emphasis on thinness, youth, and external beauty and a culture that imbues women with shame about how they look and what they eat. Thus, rather than holding whites and majority culture as the ideal, it may be important to incorporate the positive elements of black culture regarding body image and food rather than attempting to shift their values toward those of European Americans. How best to achieve a reduction in obesity and its medical consequences, without inducing undesirable shifts in body image and attitudes toward food, is a formidable but important challenge.     

Relationship of social cognitive theory concepts to mothers' dietary intake and BMI

Women tend to have the greatest responsibility for and influence on the home food environment. Understanding theoretical concepts as they pertain to mothers' food-related behaviours could inform the development of interventions that enhance mothers' ability to create healthy family food environments that support optimal child development and help attenuate obesity rates. Likert scales assessed Social Cognitive Theory concepts [i.e. self-efficacy, self-regulation (sets goals, self-reward, self-monitoring, environmental structuring), outcome expectations] and coping of 201 mothers in the context food-related activities. ANOVA determined whether diet and BMI differed among mothers scoring in the highest, middle, and lowest tertiles on the Likert scales. For self-efficacy, coping, sets goals, and outcome expectations scales, lowest tertile mothers had significantly higher BMIs than highest tertile mothers. The lowest tertile for self-efficacy, self-reward, and self-monitoring consumed significantly less fibre, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and fruit and vegetables than upper tertiles. On the self-efficacy scale, the lowest tertile consumed significantly more calories, fat, and cholesterol than higher tertiles. Environmental structuring scale findings indicate users of television during dinner had significantly lower intakes of fibre, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and fruits and vegetables than those almost never using TV during dinner. Stepwise regression revealed self-monitoring, environmental structuring, self-reward, and outcome expectations were significant positive predictors of self-efficacy. Self-monitoring was a significant positive predictor of outcome expectations. Associations between theoretical concepts, mothers' dietary intakes, and BMIs point to the need to incorporate components that build self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and coping skills into health promotion interventions.     

Nutritional status and its relationship with blood pressure among children and adolescents in South China

The present study measures the nutritional status and the blood pressure to assess their relationship in a group of children and adolescents in the Hainan province, China. A total of 5,456 students aged 7 to 18 years were recruited from 10 public schools in Hainan province of South China during the period March 2009 to December 2009. Height, weight, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were measured by health-care professionals. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and used to define thinness, overweight, and obesity according to the existing standards. Prevalence of thinness, overweight, obesity, pre-hypertension, and hypertension was computed, and logistical regression model was used to examine the association of BMI with elevated blood pressure. A high prevalence of thinness was observed in male and female children and adolescents (34.0% and 34.3%, respectively). The percentage of overweight and obesity was 2.7% and 1.3%, respectively. Pre-hypertension and hypertension were detected in 3.9% and 3.3% children and adolescents, respectively. Multivariate logistical regression analysis showed that obesity was positively associated with both pre-hypertension and hypertension, with adjusted odds ratio of 1.44 (95% confidence interval (CI)?= 1.08-1.92, P = 0.014) and 2.00 (95%CI = 1.53-2.60, P < 0.001) compared to normal weight students. Overweight was also associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension. However, no significant association between thinness and pre-hypertension and hypertension was found. In conclusion, this study showed that thinness, especially mild thinness, was a major public health problem among children and adolescents in Hainan province of South China. Overweight and obesity were strongly associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension among studied students.     

Distribution of skinfold thickness and blood pressure among children and adolescents in Shandong, China

This article reported the distribution of skinfold thickness (SFT) and blood pressure (BP) among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. A total of 8568 students (4333 boys and 4235 girls) aged 7-18 years participated in this study. Triceps and subscapular SFT and BP of all subjects were measured, the sum of Triceps and subscapular SFT (SSFT) was used as an indicator of the overall SFT. The overall prevalence of relative high BP was 24.07% for boys and 22.36% for girls. The prevalence of relative high BP was increasing with SSFT percentiles, this trend was obvious especially in upper percentiles of SSFT. The prevalence of relative high BP increased from 13.27% (boys) and 13.33% (girls) in <5th SSFT percentile group to 55.50% (boys) and 48.17% (girls) in ≥95th SSFT percentile group, which increased by 3.2 and 2.6 times. There is a higher level of SSFT and higher prevalence of relative high BP among children and adolescents in Shandong, China.     

How to interpret blood pressure values obtained in children and adolescents

As soon as blood pressure (BP) values are available for a child or teenager, a multitude of questions arise. The values obtained need to be interpreted, validated, and made use of. Values measured in an individual can be interpreted only by comparison with the results of measurements performed using the same protocol in an adequate sample of subjects with similar life styles. The value of reference to stature rather than age has been well established. Studies of BP measured at rest are the most widely used. The validity of blood pressure values is dependent on measurement technique but is also related to the problem of intraindividual variability. To address this problem, blood pressure values have been measured not only at rest but also during standardized stimulation tests and throughout the 24-hour period (ambulatory BP measurements). Studies using these techniques in children and adolescents are still scant. Longitudinal studies of the mean-term and long-term reproducibility of these measurements are needed. Until results of such studies are available, blood pressure measurements in non-resting subjects will be mainly useful for evaluating patients with borderline BP values at rest and for monitoring the effect of therapy. The response to blood pressure values believed to be borderline should include evaluation of factors which influence BP values as well as of the other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The predictive value of blood pressure levels is fairly poor in childhood. Correlation coefficients between values obtained five years apart approximate 0.25. These coefficients increase with age and finally level off at 0.4-0.5.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

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目的调查四川省藏族儿童青少年肥胖指标体重指数(BMI)、腰围(WC)、腰臀比(WHR)、腰围身高比(WhtR)与血压、血脂,并对其相关性进行分析。方法采用多阶段、分层、整群随机抽样的方法,选取2007年10月调查的四川省阿坝自治州松潘县藏族儿童青少年818名资料完整者进行数据分析。测量计算BMI、WC、WHR、WhtR,并分别检测收缩压(SBP)、舒张压(DBP)、总胆固醇(TC)、甘油三酯(TG)、高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)以及低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)的血清浓度,并进行相关性分析。结果女童超重肥胖率(12.78%)高于男童(3.30%),男童和女童超重肥胖组的血压、血脂与同性别BMI正常组相比差异有统计学意义。对血压、血脂与年龄、肥胖指标进行不同性别单因素相关性分析显示,男童和女童的BMI和WC均与SBP、DBP呈正相关。血脂四项与肥胖指标有不同程度的相关性。结论四川省藏族儿童青少年的BMI、WC、WHR、WhtR和血压、血脂存在不同程度的性别、年龄差异,尤其体现在16～17岁年龄组。监测儿童青少年期的BMI、WC和WhtR对于血压和血脂的控制和维持具有重要意义。     

宁夏银川市城区儿童青少年不同肥胖表型与血压异常的关系

目的:了解银川市城区儿童青少年不同肥胖表型与血压异常的关系,为肥胖儿童青少年提供适宜的治疗及干预措施。方法:采用现况研究设计,以方便整群抽样的方法于2017年9月至2018年9月共抽取银川市1 047名12～18岁儿童青少年为研究对象,其中男530名、女517名,年龄(13.93±1.24)岁,并对其进行问卷调查、体格...     

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children and adolescents

With recent technological advances, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) has become a useful tool for the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of hypertensive children. It provides a more accurate representation of an individual's BP rather than intermittent casual or office BP measurements. Hence, ABPM is being used more often to assess the BP of children. In this comprehensive review, we provide the reader with the available literature on ABPM, discuss the advantages and limitations of ABPM, and the interpretation of ABPM data. The role of ABPM in various clinical conditions and hypertension research in children is presented.     

Elevated blood pressure and decreased cognitive function among school-age children and adolescents in the United States

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between elevated blood pressure (BP) and cognitive test performance in a nationally representative sample of children.Study design The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III provides cross-sectional data for children 6 to 16 years, including BP and cognitive test scores. Elevated BP was defined as systolic or diastolic BP >or=90th percentile. Cognitive tests were compared for children with elevated and normal BP. Linear regression was used to evaluate the relation between elevated BP and decreased test scores. RESULTS: Among the 5077 children, 3.4% had systolic BP >or=90th percentile and 1.6% diastolic BP >or=90th percentile. Children with elevated systolic BP had lower average scores compared with normotensive children for digit span (7.9 vs 8.7, P=.01), block design (8.6 vs 9.5, P=.03), and mathematics (89.6 vs 93.8, P=.01). Elevated diastolic BP was associated with lower average scores on block design (9.5 vs 11, P=.01). Linear regression showed that elevated systolic BP was independently associated with lower digit span scores (P=.032). CONCLUSION: Children with elevation of systolic BP are at risk for central nervous system end-organ damage, as manifested by decreased digit span test scores.     

Energy intake misreporting among children and adolescents: a literature review

While adults' energy intake misreporting is a well‐documented phenomenon, relatively little is known about the nature and extent of misreporting among children and adolescents. Children's and adolescents' dietary reporting patterns are likely to be distinct because of their ongoing cognitive and social development. These developmental differences present unique challenges to aspects of dietary reporting, such as food knowledge, portion size estimation and response editing. This review of 28 articles describes energy intake misreporting among children and adolescents. Like adults, children and adolescents tended to underreport energy, with the largest biases observed with food records. Even when mean reported energy intake was close to its expected value, approximately half of all individuals were classified as misreporters, and overreporting appeared to be more common than it is among adults. Associations between numerous characteristics and misreporting were explored in the literature, with the most consistent findings for age and adiposity. Two predictors for adults, gender and social desirability, were not consistent factors among children and adolescents. The review concludes by highlighting knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research and practice.