Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Do variations in blood pressures of South Asian, African and Chinese descent children reflect those of the adult populations in the UK? A review of cross-sectional data

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 18, pages 229–237 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess whether variations in BP in children of UK ethnic minority populations correspond to those seen in adults. A systematic literature review was carried out using MEDLINE 1966–2003 and EMBASE 1980–2003, supplemented by correspondence with expert informants, and citations from references. Five studies were identified. There were important differences between studies in terms of age and sex of samples, definition of ethnic minority children and methods of evaluating BP. Three studies of children of African descent reported lower mean SBP in boys from African descent compared to white boys, the differences being significant only in one study. In African descent girls, the mean SBP was significantly lower in one study, while DBP was significantly higher in one study. Four studies included children of South Asian origin. The Health Survey for England '99 reported on South Asian groups separately. Pakistani boys had a significantly higher age- and height-standardised mean SBP than the general population. The mean DBP was significantly higher in Indian and Pakistani boys than the general population. Pakistani and Bangladeshi girls had a significantly higher mean DBP than the general population. The other three studies, which combined South Asian subgroups found no significant differences in the mean BP between South Asians and white subjects. One study included children of Chinese descent and reported significantly higher mean DBP in Chinese boys and girls compared to the general population. Overall, BP across ethnic groups was similar. These similarities in BP patterns particularly in African, Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent children contrasts with those in the corresponding adult populations in the UK where BP is comparatively high in those of African descent and comparatively low in those of Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Agyemang C, Bhopal RS . Is blood pressure of South Asian adults in the UK higher or lower than that in European white adults? A review of cross-sectional data. J Hum Hypertens 2002; 16: 739–751.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Agyemang C, Bhopal RS . Is the blood pressure of people from African origin adults in the UK higher or lower than that in European origin whites? A review of cross-sectional data. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 523–534.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Harland JO et al. Low levels of cardiovascular risk factors and coronary heart disease in a UK Chinese population. J Epidemiol Community Health 1997; 51: 636–642.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Karlsen S, Primatesta P, McMum A . Blood pressure. In: Erens B, Primatesta P, Prior G (eds). Health Survey for England—The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups '99 London. The Stationary Office. London, 2001, Chapter 7, pp 175–197.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Horatio Wan H-H . Level of blood pressure in people of Chinese origin living in Britain. J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 581–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. De Giovanni JV, Pentecost BL, Beevers DG . The Birmingham blood pressure school study. Postgrad Med J 1983; 59: 627–629.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Khaw KT, Marmot MG . Blood pressure in 15 to 16-year-old adolescents of different ethnic groups in two London Schools. Postgrad Med J 1983; 59: 630–631.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Clark PM et al. Weight gain in pregnancy, triceps skinfold thickness, and blood pressure in offspring. Obstet Gynecol 1998; 91: 103–107.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Nazroo J, Becher H, Kelly Y, McMunn A . Children's health. In: Erens B, Primatesta P, Prior G (eds). Health Survey for England — The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups '99 London. The Stationary Office. London, 2001, Chapter 13.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Whincup PH et al. Early evidence of ethnic differences in cardiovascular risk: cross sectional comparison of British Asian and white children. BMJ 2002; 324: 635–638.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Cruickshank JK, Beever DG . Ethnic and geographic differences in blood pressure. In: Bulpitt CJ (ed) Handbook of Hypertension; Epidemiology of Hypertension, Vol. 6. Elsevier: Oxford, 1985, pp 71–83.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Senior PA, Bhopal R . Ethnicity as variable in epidemiological research. BMJ 1994; 309: 327–330.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Hornsby JL, Mongan PF, Taylor AT, Treiber FA . ‘White coat’ hypertension in children. J Fam Pract 1991; 33: 617–623.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kouidi E et al. White coat hypertension detection during screening of male adolescent athletes. Am J Hypertens 1999; 12: 223–226.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Arch Intern Med 1997; 157: 2413–2446.

  16. Daniels SR et al. Longitudinal correlates of changes in blood pressure in adolescent girls. Hypertension 1998; 31: 97–103.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Manantunga AK, Jones JJ, Pratt JH . Longitudinal assessment of blood pressure in black and white children. Hypertension 1993; 22: 84–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Cruz ML et al. Insulin sensitivity and blood pressure in black and white children. Hypertension 2002; 40: 18–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Baron AE, Freyer B, Fixler DE . Longitudinal blood pressures in blacks, whites, and Mexican Americans during adolescent and early adulthood. Am J Epidemiol 1986; 123: 809–817.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Levinson S et al. Ethnic differences in blood pressure and heart rate of Chicago school children. Am J Epidemiol 1985; 122: 366–377.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Primatesta P, Bost L, Poulter NR . Blood pressure levels and hypertension status among ethnic groups in England. J Hum Hypertens 2000; 14: 143–148.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Cruickshank JK et al. Similarity of blood pressure in blacks whites and asians in England: the Birmingham Factory Study. J Hypertens 1985; 3: 365–371.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Lane D, Beevers DG, Lip GYH . Ethnic differences in blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension in England. J Hum Hypertens 2002; 16: 267–273.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Gill PS, Kai J, Bhopal RS, Wild S . Health care needs assessment: black and minority ethnic groups. In: Raftery J (ed). Health Care Needs Assessment. The Epidemiologically Based Needs Assessment Reviews. Third Series. Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd: Abingdon (in press), available at http://hcna.radcliffe-online.com/bemgframe.htm

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Peter Whincup for supplying unpublished data and his useful comments, Dr Kennedy Cruickshank for his advice on the literature search and valuable comments, Drs James Nazroo, Lisa Riste and Seeromanie Harding for their advice and reassurance on the literature search. We thank Ank de Jonge for advice and useful comments, and Kabita Asray and Hazel King for secretarial support. We also thank the anonymous referees, who provided comments that helped improve an earlier version of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands

    C Agyemang & M Bruijnzeels

  2. Division of Community Health Sciences, Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, UK

    R Bhopal

Authors
  1. C Agyemang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R Bhopal
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M Bruijnzeels
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C Agyemang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Agyemang, C., Bhopal, R. & Bruijnzeels, M. Do variations in blood pressures of South Asian, African and Chinese descent children reflect those of the adult populations in the UK? A review of cross-sectional data. J Hum Hypertens 18, 229–237 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001658

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001658

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links