Effect of changes in body mass index and waist-to-height ratio on blood pressure in 11- to 13-year-old children: a prospective population study

Abstract

Background

Existing evidence about associations between change in body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) change and high blood pressure are relatively limited.

Aims

We aimed to investigate the associations of general overweight (based on BMI) and abdominal obesity (based on WHtR) change with high blood pressure in Chinese children.

Subjects and methods

A school-based cohort study in Ningbo region (China) was conducted among children with baseline evaluations in October 2016 with follow-up two years later. A total of 1432 children aged 11–13 years participated in this study.

Results

Our results showed that a change from normal BMI or WHtR to overweight or abdominal obesity in children was associated with high blood pressure (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 2.62; p<0.05 or AOR, 2.79; p<0.05, respectively). In addition, an increased risk of high blood pressure was observed in children who maintained overweight or abdominal obesity (AOR, 1.67; p<0.05 or AOR, 1.69; p<0.05, respectively), but not in children who experienced remission to non-excess weight. Interestingly, children who increased BMI or WHtR had greater impact on SBP than on DBP.

Conclusion

The 2-year longitudinal study indicated that general overweight or abdominal obesity can predict the risk factor of high blood pressure in children. However, children who remitted to non-excess weight did not exhibit an increased risk of high blood pressure.

Keywords:

• Children
• overweight
• abdominal obesity
• blood pressure

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge all the students and their parents for their cooperation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Science and Technology Plan Project of Ningbo [NOs: 2022S077, 2016A610181, and 2018A610403] and Ningbo Medical and Health Branding Subject Fund [PPXK2018-10].