الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The presen\ study was initiated for estimation of the normal level of blood pressure of preparatory school children in order to evaluate susceptibility to essential hypertension during childhood. The study was carried out through two phases: Phase I included the total sample (2000 children) aged (11 - 18 years), they were screaned for hypertension. According to this criterion (mean i 2 S.D.), a pressure of 140 and or/90 mm.Hg and above for this age, a child \~s considered hypertensive. An interviewd~g quat10nnaire was built for all children of the sample including the following informa tions: personal, socioeconomic, anthropometric measure ments and blood pressure level (Appendix I). Phase 11 including the total number of hypertension prone children who with elevated blood pressure. For those children anthropometric measurements and blood pressure level were remeasured. The 24 hours urinary sodium excretion was estimated and the dietary survey was performed applying the 24 hours recall method. The number of hypertension prone children was 86 , and this represents a prevalence rate of hypertension (4.3) among pr~paratory school children. The results revealed an association between the susceptibility of hypertension among children and the environment in which they exist. Blood pressure level increased gradually with increase of age and this rate of increase is greater among girls than boys. Overweight children tends to have high blood pressure, sp~cially girls. Children of a family with positive history of hypertension was more liable to develop hypertension. Dietary sodium was not a decive factor in the development of hypertension in this age group. Sodium retention tends to play a minor role in hypertension in girls. The relationship of some etiological factors and 2 prevelance of hypertension was tested by X test and correlations. ’ 2 The values of X obtained for hyperten sion prone and non hypertensive children for different variables are as follows: . Variable X2 values 13.122:J( 11.315 11. 313:J( 7.708 6.042 5.754 5.293 4.938 4.789:J( 4.753 0.761 0.533 School grade Father occupation Sex Educational districts Father education Family type Birth order Onest of puberty Health status of mother .. Mother education Health status of father Schoo1astic achievement ~ Significant Significant 1 *K 5hypertensive children for different variables. f Total sample: r-value s Diastolic B.P Variable: Boys Girls We igh t 0.27 if 0.29 :lE Prodral/index - o. 07:tBE if: - 0.15 Age 0.15 :It 0.11 i[:ft - Subsample: Boys Girls Both Weight 0.343 Mid-arm circumference 0.354:tt:tt Triceps skinfold thick- 0.466 :a thickness .. He igh t - 0.035 Urinary sodium excre- tion124 hr. - 0.04 - 0.15 - 0.192 Urinary creatinine excretion/24 hr. - 0.06 - 0.37 - 0.104 :lE Significant Significant 1 ~ 5 Thus it was concluded that (essential) hypertension is not unco~n in children and adolescents and search ing about etiology is needed and should be encouraged by blood pressure screening among children and adolescents..