Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3101456 | Preventive Medicine | 2009 | 5 Pages |
Objectivesa) To determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors and b) to establish the impact of past (i.e. adolescence) and current physical activity on hypertension.MethodsA cross-sectional study of people aged 40 years or more living in the urban area of Pelotas — Brazil (2003). Hypertension was assessed by self-report of medical diagnosis. Individuals were considered active in adolescence if they reported regular physical activity practice between the ages 10 and 19 years. In adulthood, individuals who performed ≥ 150 min/week of leisure-time physical activities were considered active. Other variables studied included skin color, age, smoking, body mass index and socioeconomic status.Results1696 individuals were interviewed (response rate > 95%). Prevalence of hypertension was 34.4% (CI95% 32.1–36.7) and varied considerably among population subgroups. Current physical activity showed no association with hypertension. Physical activity in adolescence was associated with a decreased risk of adulthood hypertension in the crude analyses for women (p < 0.001). However, after adjusting for potential confounders and mediators, this protection was no longer significant 1.20 (CI95% 0.93–1.55).ConclusionsPrevalence of hypertension is high among Brazilians and markedly different among population subgroups. There was no robust evidence of association between adolescence physical activity practice and hypertension in later life.