Prevalence of High Blood Pressure and Associated Factors among a Population of Apparently Healthy in-School Adolescents in Delta State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Adolescence is a vulnerable phase when risky behaviours like smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity set the stage for health problems like hypertension.

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP) and associated factors among apparently healthy inschool adolescents in Delta State, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among apparently healthy in-school adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, using a multi-stage random sampling technique. HBP was defined using the 2016 European Society of Hypertension Guidelines. Factors associated with HBP were determined using binary logistic regression. A p-value less than 0.05 was taken as significant.

Results: Of the 574 participants surveyed, 331 (57.7%) were females and 243 (42.3%) were males, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.36. The mean age of the study participants was 14.7 years. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the study participants were 118.81 (±12.703) and 70.16 (±9.972) mmHg respectively. Prehypertension and hypertension were present in 14.8% and 18.3% of the study population, respectively. Age 10-13 years (AOR = 7.70; 95% CI: 2.26-26.22; p = 0.001) and 14-16 years (AOR = 4.62; 95% CI: 1.40 -15.25; p = 0.001), upper socioeconomic status (AOR=1.19; 95% CI: 0.57-2.48; p = 0.020), and obesity (AOR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.08-4.25; p = 0.039) were factors associated with HBP.

Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension among the study participants was significant. Factors associated with HBP include younger age (specifically 10-16 years old), higher socioeconomic status, and obesity.