Abstract

Background: The prevalence of hypertension has significantly increased among adolescents in India.
Objective: (1) To correlate the hypertension with body mass index (BMI), dietary habits, and family history of hypertension among adolescents. (2) To compare the prevalence of hypertension among men and women.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 100 medical students, and their age, diet, family history of hyper- tension, weight, and height were recorded. BMI was calculated from height and weight. BMI was distributed by the criteria of the World Health Organization. Blood pressure was measured and classified as per the Seventh Report of the Joint 2 National Committee, Geneva, Switzerland. The data were analyzed using χ -test to find association between hyperten - sion and variables. Result: On the basis of this study, we found that the percentage of prevalence of hypertension was higher among subjects 2 having BMI of >25 kg/m , taking mixed diet, and having positive family history of hypertension as compared to those with 2 BMI of <25 kg/m , taking vegetarian diet, and having negative family history of hypertension. Conclusion: This study shows that increased prevalence of hypertension in adolescents is due to various factors such as higher BMI, dietary habits, and positive family history. So, early modification of these variables will help us to decrease prevalence of hypertension among adolescents.