Waist Circumference is Associated with Blood Pressure in Children with Normal Body Mass Index: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 3,417 School Children

Abstract Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity and associated conditions, such as hypertension, has become a major problem of public health. Although waist circumference (WC) is a marker of cardiovascular risk in adults, it is unclear whether this index is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in children. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the association between increased WC and elevated blood pressure (BP) in children with normal body mass index (BMI) ranges. Methods: Cross-sectional evaluation of students between 6 and 11 years with normal BMI. WC was categorized by quartile for each age group. Normal BP was defined as values