BACKGROUND: Neck circumference (NC) measures upper body subcutaneous fat, which could be a valuable indicator of overweight, obesity and hypertension in children. This study aims to determine the association between NC, overweight, obesity and blood pressure among primary school children in Calabar, Nigeria.
METHODOLOGY: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 328 apparently healthy primary school children aged 6 to 12 years in Calabar Municipal Area Council of Cross River state, Nigeria. The subjects were selected by multi-stage sampling method from 32 primary schools. Subjects’ heights and weights were measured using a stadiometer, Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated, and Z-score was obtained using the WHO BMI-for-age growth chart. Neck circumferences (NC) were measured, and values obtained were plotted in the percentile chart for age and sex. Each of the selected children had their blood pressure measured using the auscultatory method. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0; a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS: The mean age was 8.5 ± 1.6 years, with 159 males and 169 females giving a male: female ratio of 1:1.1. High Neck Circumference (NC) was seen in 21.0%. Neck circumference was significantly related to increasing age, overweight, obesity and high blood pressure (p
Key words: Child, Overweight, Obesity, Subcutaneous Fat, Hypertension
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