PT48 - BLOOD PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AND ASSOCIATED DETERMINANTS IN CHINESE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AGED 3–17 YEARS

PT48

BLOOD PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AND ASSOCIATED DETERMINANTS IN CHINESE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AGED 3–17 YEARS

Q. Guo^1,*, C. Song¹, S. Li¹, W. Zhao¹

¹National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China

Rationale: Pediatric elevated blood pressure (BP) - a significant public health concern - demonstrates persistent tracking into adulthood and confers increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in later life. This study assessed the national distribution of BP levels and key associated factors among Chinese children and adolescents aged 3-17 years.

Methods: This study analyzed data from 8,987 participants in the 2019-2021 China Children's Nutrition and Health Survey, a national cross-sectional survey. BP levels were assessed by age, sex, residential area, region and nutritional status, with statistical assessments of associations.

Results: BP levels increased with age, with systolic blood pressure (SBP) increasing more markedly than diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Significant gender difference in SBP was observed (male: 110.9 ± 13.6 mmHg, female: 107.1 ± 11.5 mmHg, p < 0.0001). Rural children aged 3-14 years had higher SBP than urban peers (p < 0.05), while urban adolescents (15-17 years) had higher SBP (p = 0.0022). Additionally, rural populations had higher DBP levels across all age groups (p < 0.05). Geographic analysis identified Northeast China with the highest SBP (112.3 ± 12.6 mmHg) and Central China with the highest DBP (69.5 ± 8.4 mmHg). Nutritional status demonstrated a strong graded association with BP levels (p < 0.0001), with the highest BP values in obese children.

Conclusion: This national study characterizes BP distributions across demographic, geographic and nutritional status in Chinese youth. Male sex, rural residence and overnutrition emerge as key associated factors of higher BP levels, with significant differences by geographic region. These findings highlight the need for regular surveys, targeted interventions, and region-specific policies to aid in early detection and management of cardiovascular risk in high-risk groups during critical developmental stages.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared