TĂNG HUYẾT ÁP VÀ CÁC YẾU TỐ LIÊN QUAN Ở HỌC SINH TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ TẠI TỈNH TIỀN GIANG

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric hypertension is emerging as a significant public health concern, with increasing prevalence parallel to the rising rates of overweight and obesity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among lower secondary school students in Tien Giang province, Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 6,009 lower secondary school students selected through stratified cluster random sampling. Hypertension was defined based on age-, sex-, height-specific blood pressure percentiles according to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. Risk factors were assessed through structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent associated factors. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 5.7%. Independent risk factors included elevated body mass index (OR=2.78), waist-to-height ratio ≥0.46 (OR=2.09), high-sodium dietary habit (OR=2.35), screen time >2hours/day (OR=1.35), sleep duration <8hours/night (OR=1.79), and physical inactivity (OR=1.59). The predictive model demonstrated good discriminatory ability with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.78. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of early screening and intervention targeting modifiable risk factors, particularly in the context of increasing obesity rates and lifestyle changes among school-aged children. These results provide valuable evidence to inform the development of school-based hypertension prevention programs.