OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of high blood pressure among students aged 11 to 14 years from public schools in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to November 2008. Custer sampling technique was used to select clusters of 9 public schools. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 329 students. They had a mean age of 12 years. More than a half of the students were "de cor parda - brown" (55.0%) and males (58.0%). A great number of students (11.2%) had high blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of high blood pressure among the student was 11.2%. The two major risk factors for high blood pressure were body mass index and ethnicity (being "de cor parda - brown"). There is a need for routine monitoring and management of blood pressure in children and teenagers to prevent the development of high blood pressure in adulthood.
Blood pressure; Child; Adolescent
