Body composition and blood pressures in school children 6-14 years of age.

ABSTRACT

The relationship between parameters of estimated body composition (FFM = fat free mass, FM = fat mass, %F = percentage fat) and blood pressure was examined in a sample of 1418 school-children (712 males, 706 females), 6-14 years of age from L'Aquila and its province (Abruzzo), Italy. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased from 6-14 years in both sexes (males systolic pressure 93.08 ± 14.95 to 122.29 ± 13.27 mm Hg; diastolic pressure 59.60 ± 11.60 to 74.83 ± 8.35 mm Hg; females systolic pressure 97.12 ± 13.16 to 120.56 ± 8.02 mm Hg; diastolic pressure 61.93 ± 10.23 to 76.67 ± 4.85 mm Hg). FFM and FM estimated by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance, exhibited similar growth trends (Anthropometry in males, FFM 20.55-47.20 kg and FM 4.14-12.01 kg; in females, FFM 19.95-41.90 kg and FM 5.03-15.84 kg; Impedance in males, FFM 18.40-47.30 kg and FM 6.26-11.91 kg; in females, FFM 17.47-36.97 kg and FM 7.61-20.77 kg). Correlations between body composition parameters and blood pressures were generally significant. In particular, there was a strong relationship between systolic blood pressure and both FM and %F, the correlations being higher when the body composition parameters were estimated by anthropometry. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9535-544, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.