ABSTRACT

Background: High blood pressure is a major predisposing factor contributing to morbidity and mortality, both in developed and developing nations. Literature stipulated a significant association of sitting height with blood pressure in adolescents. However, such studies were not conducted in Malaysia.

Aim: To assess the correlation between sitting height and blood pressure in Malaysian adolescents, which enables in prediction and early diagnosis of hypertension and other associated risk factors.

Methods: For this study, a total of 375 children aged between 13 to 17 years old attending two public secondary schools in Malaysia were recruited. The anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were obtained via standard procedures. The obtained data is then analysed through Excel spreadsheets and SPSS version 2015.

Results: The results evinced a significant correlation between sitting height and systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in the unadjusted analysis. Conclusion: The positive correlation between body measurements with blood pressure enables early detection of high blood pressure from sitting height during adolescence, in turn preventing many chronic disorders later in life.

Keywords: Sitting height, blood pressure, adolescents.