PREVALENCE OF NUTRITIONAL OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AND HYPERTENSION AS WELL AS THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICATORS IN A POPULATION OF STUDENTS IN GRANADA AND ITS PROVINCES

Introduction: Several authors have found correlations between anthropometric parameters and blood pressure levels in overweight and obese subjects. This paper is an update on the potential of these parameters as a tool for predicting cardiovascular risk. Aims: to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Second verify the existence of a significant correlation between the main anthropometric indicators and the blood pressure levels. Sample: The population consisted of 977 children and adolescents between 9 and 17 years of age belonging to 13 schools in the province of Granada and city. Methodology: anthropometric evaluation in which they were assessed six skinfolds, waist circumference, hip and determination of blood pressure in three consecutive occasions. The anthropometric assessment phase began in March 2008 lasted until April 2009. Results: We found that the prevalence of overweight in girls varied between 18.3% and 32.2%. For its part, the prevalence among boys was between 10.9% and 26.1%. Regarding the prevalence of obesity, the girls had similar rates between 4.5% and 15.1%. Among boys the prevalence of obesity was similar, and found rates between 4.7% and 12.6%. Of all the parameters measured, body mass index and waist circumference were the anthropometric indicators that showed a better correlation to blood pressure. Conclusions: BMI and WC are useful anthropometric indicators to predict cardiovascular risk in non adults. (Nutr Hosp. 2011;26:1004-1010) DOI: 10.3305/nh.2011.26.5.5003