Study on the Relationship Between Hypertension and Psycho-social Factors in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Research Objective:This study aims at exploring the psycho-social factors inducing hypertension in children and adolescents, so as to provide reference for the intervention and treatment of hypertension in the young generation. Method: This article measures the blood pressure level, mental health status (GHQ-28) and life satisfaction of 2201 teenagers aged from 13 to 18 in middle schools in Wuhu. Logistic regression is utilized to analyze the psycho-social factors related to hypertension in teenagers. Findings: among 2201 surveyed respondents, 209 of them are diagnosed with hypertension, with an overall detection rate of 9.5%. The total scores of mental health status, social dysfunction and severe depression are higher in teenagers with hypertension than those without, while the school satisfaction scores are lower than that of the group without hypertension. The disparity between the two groups has statistical significance (p<0.05). As is showed in multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis, rural areas upbringing and mental health status positive play a hazardous role in inducing hypertension in children and adolescents. Conclusion: Affected by psycho-social factors, hypertension in teenagers has a high detection rate. Therefore, psychological education and intervention should be carried out specifically for children and adolescents with hypertension, so as to alleviate negative emotions and pressure, improve social functions, mental health and effectively prevent and control the hypertension in teenagers. Keywords: children and adolescents, hypertension, psychosocial factors 1. FOREWORD As a well-known psychosomatic disorder, hypertension has a very high morbidity rate worldwide, with an upward trend at a younger age [1] The prevalence rate of hypertension in Chinese children and adolescents ranges from 0.5% to 20.3%. As is showed in multiple researches, hypertension in adolescence can develop into that in adulthood as well, namely the blood pressure tracking phenomenon. Therefore, it is very necessary to conduct researches on hypertension in teenagers. This research aims to analyze the contributing factors of hypertension in children and adolescents from the perspective of social psychology, in the hope of providing a theoretical basis for the early prevention of hypertension and targeted correction of psychological behaviors. 2. OBJECTS AND METHODS 2.1 Objects With convenient cluster sampling method, we have investigated 2332 students aged from 13 to 18 in middle schools in Wuhu City. After screening the research contents in this subject, 2201 valid questionnaires have been collected, including 1155 male respondents, 1046 females, 1534 urban people, 667 rural people, 1051 senior primary school students, 683 junior high school students and 467 senior high school students. 2.2 Measurement work and assessment method Firstly, compile questionnaires, including gender, age, region, mother/father's education background, family annual income, etc. Secondly, measure blood pressure level of respondents. Yuwell YE655A arm electronic sphygmomanometer has been uniformly used for measurement. The assessment method: hypertension is assessed when the systolic and/or diastolic pressure are consistently higher than or equal to the 95th percentile (P95) of the blood pressure for the same sex in the age group. Thirdly, general health status (GHQ-28) scale. This scale is widely used in the medical evaluation of mental health status. Fourthly, adolescent life satisfaction scale (CASLSS). This scale includes six dimensions: family satisfaction, friendship satisfaction, academic satisfaction, school satisfaction, freedom satisfaction and environment satisfaction. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license-http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 154