Jill Kropa1, Jeremy Close2, David Shipon3, Erich Hufnagel4, Christopher Terry5, Jeffrey Oliver4, Benjamin Johnson6. 1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. Electronic address: jkropa@gmail.com. 2. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Athlete Health Organization, Philadelphia, PA. 3. Athlete Health Organization, Philadelphia, PA; The Heart Center of Philadelphia, Jefferson, Philadelphia, PA. 4. Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. 5. Department of Medicine-Pediatrics, Brown University, Providence, RI. 6. Public Health Program, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of obesity and hypertension-level blood pressures in an urban, athletic adolescent population using preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) data. STUDY DESIGN: The Athlete Health Organization provides free preparticipation physical evaluations to Philadelphia student-athletes via an annual mass-screening event. From 2009 to 2012, Athlete Health Organization personnel performed PPEs on more than 2700 middle school and high school athletes. The PPE included biometric information, a history, and a physical examination. Medical volunteers measured blood pressures using a manual blood pressure cuff with an aneroid manometer. The data from each PPE were collected and analyzed for prevalence of obesity, overweight, and hypertension-level blood pressure readings. RESULTS: A large percentage of student-athletes were found to be overweight (20%) or obese (24.0%). Many of these athletes also had stage 1 or 2 level blood pressure readings (14.8%), a finding which strongly correlated with elevated body mass index (P < .00001). CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular health of this urban adolescent athletic population is a major concern because their rates of obesity and elevated blood pressure place them at increased risk of cardiovascular complications later in life despite their participation in school athletics.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of obesity and hypertension-level blood pressures in an urban, athletic adolescent population using preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) data. STUDY DESIGN: The Athlete Health Organization provides free preparticipation physical evaluations to Philadelphia student-athletes via an annual mass-screening event. From 2009 to 2012, Athlete Health Organization personnel performed PPEs on more than 2700 middle school and high school athletes. The PPE included biometric information, a history, and a physical examination. Medical volunteers measured blood pressures using a manual blood pressure cuff with an aneroid manometer. The data from each PPE were collected and analyzed for prevalence of obesity, overweight, and hypertension-level blood pressure readings. RESULTS: A large percentage of student-athletes were found to be overweight (20%) or obese (24.0%). Many of these athletes also had stage 1 or 2 level blood pressure readings (14.8%), a finding which strongly correlated with elevated body mass index (P < .00001). CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular health of this urban adolescent athletic population is a major concern because their rates of obesity and elevated blood pressure place them at increased risk of cardiovascular complications later in life despite their participation in school athletics.
Authors: Zhen Zheng; Li Zhang; Shiping Li; Fengyan Zhao; Yan Wang; Lan Huang; Jinglan Huang; Rong Zou; Yi Qu; Dezhi Mu Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2017-09-15 Impact factor: 4.379