Association between Body Fat and Elevated Blood Pressure among Children and Adolescents Aged 7–17 Years: Using Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) from a Cross-Sectional Study in China

Manman Chen, Jieyu Liu, Ying Ma, Yanhui Li, Di Gao, Li Chen, Tao Ma, Yanhui Dong and Jun Ma
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Manman Chen: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Jieyu Liu: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Ying Ma: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Yanhui Li: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Di Gao: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Li Chen: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Tao Ma: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Yanhui Dong: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Jun Ma: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: To investigate the associations between body fat percentage (BF%) with childhood blood pressure (BP) levels and elevated BP (EBP) risks, and further examine the validity of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), we conducted a cross-sectional study of 1426 children and adolescents aged 7–17 years in Beijing, 2020. EBP, including elevated systolic BP (ESBP) and elevated diastolic BP (EDBP), was defined based on the age- and sex-specific 90th BP reference values of children and adolescents in China. BF% was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and BIA devices, and was divided into four quartiles. Log-binomial models were applied to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Girls tended to have higher BF% levels than boys ( p < 0.05). There was 41.0% of girls who developed EBP. High BF% was associated with increased BP levels with ORs of 0.364 (95%CI = 0.283–0.444) for SBP, 0.112 (95%CI = 0.059–0.165) for DBP, and 1.043 (95%CI = 1.027–1.059) for EBP, while the effects were more pronounced in girls and older-aged children. BIA devices agreed well with BF% assessment obtained by DEXA. High BF% might have negative effects on childhood BP. Convenient measurements of body fat might help to assess childhood obesity and potential risks of hypertension.

Keywords: body fat; elevated blood pressure; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; bioelectrical impedance analysis; childhood (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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