The results suggest that despite the existence of hegemonic thinking to guide these relationships , BP and physical activity do not always have negative associations , and BP and obesity do not always have positive associations .
In the light of the importance of the impacts that obesity and physical activity may have on  blood pressure ( BP ) among adolescents , and the suggestion that abnormal pressure levels at young ages are maintained into more mature stages of these individuals ' lives , the scope of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the associations between obesity and BP and between physical activity and BP among adolescents .
Blood pressure and related cardiovascular disease risk factors in 6-18 year-old students in Italy.
OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to provide data on blood pressure ( BP ) levels , to measure prevalence of high-normal or high BP and to identify a set of conditions that may predict high BP ( HBP ) in a population of children and adolescents in Italy . METHODS A r and om sample of students 6 - 18 years old attending r and omly selected schools in Catanzaro , Italy , was recruited . All students completed a question naire on their health and on health behaviours , such as physical activity , diet , drinking and smoking . Blood pressure , heart rate , height , weight and body mass index ( BMI ) were recorded . RESULTS Of the 603 subjects examined , 12.8 % had high-normal BP , 3.5 % hypertension ( HTN ) and 11.1 % were obese . High-normal or high diastolic BP ( DBP ) was significantly more likely in older subjects with a higher BMI , in those with a smoker mother and in preterm children , whereas high-normal or high systolic BP ( SBP ) was significantly more likely to be found in older subjects with a higher BMI and in those who had at least one parent with HTN . High-normal or high DBP or SBP were significantly predicted by BMI and age . CONCLUSIONS Interventions should focus at reducing obesity and encouraging proper dietary habits , sufficient exercise and cessation of smoking habit in parents too , especially in children with a family history of HTN
The results suggest that despite the existence of hegemonic thinking to guide these relationships , BP and physical activity do not always have negative associations , and BP and obesity do not always have positive associations .
In the light of the importance of the impacts that obesity and physical activity may have on  blood pressure ( BP ) among adolescents , and the suggestion that abnormal pressure levels at young ages are maintained into more mature stages of these individuals ' lives , the scope of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the associations between obesity and BP and between physical activity and BP among adolescents .