PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hassan, Ahmed Ali
AU  - Al-Nafeesah, Abdullah
AU  - AlEed, Ashwaq
AU  - Adam, Ishag
TI  - Prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among adolescents in Sudan: a cross-sectional school-based study
AID  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078234
DP  - 2023 Dec 01
TA  - BMJ Open
PG  - e078234
VI  - 13
IP  - 12
4099  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e078234.short
4100  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e078234.full
SO  - BMJ Open2023 Dec 01; 13
AB  - Objectives There is an increasing rate of elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, in children and adolescents worldwide, including Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Only a few data on adolescent hypertension in SSA, including Sudan, have been published. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among adolescent schoolchildren (within the ages of 10 to 19 years) in Sudan.Design A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted from June to September 2022.Settings Six randomly selected schools in Almatamah, River Nile State, Sudan.Participants Adolescent schoolchildren (within the ages of 10 to 19 years).Main outcome measures Sociodemographic information. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed in accordance with the standard procedures. An adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed.Results Of the 384 enrolled adolescents, 166 (43.2%) and 218 (56.8%) were boys and girls, respectively. The median (IQR) age and body mass index (BMI) were 15.2 years (14.0‒16.4 years) and 18.5 kg/m2 (16.4‒21.5 kg/m2), respectively. Of the 384 adolescents, 240 (62.5%) and 255 (66.4%) had educated mothers and fathers (≥secondary), respectively. 38 adolescents (9.9%) had hypertension (≥95th percentile). The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex and maternal educational level were not associated with hypertension. Paternal educational level according to secondary education attainment (adjusted OR (AOR), 2.72; 95% CI 1.36‒5.46) and increasing BMI (AOR, 1.12; 95% CI 1.02‒1.20) were associated with hypertension.Conclusion 1 in 10 adolescents in northern Sudan was hypertensive. Low paternal educational level and increasing BMI were significantly associated with hypertension. The introduction of interventional nutritional programmes at early ages is needed to ensure that adolescents are healthy in their present and later lives. To sustain such programmes, involving all educational parties at early stage is essential.Data are available upon reasonable request.