Increasing trend in hypertension prevalence among Korean adolescents from 2007 to 2020

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of hypertension in Korean adolescents, its long-term trends, and factors associated with the development of hypertension.

Methods Data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2007 to 2020 were combined into three time periods (2007–2011, 2012–2016, and 2017–2020). A total of 11,146 Korean adolescents aged 10–18 were included in the analysis. The definition of hypertension was based on the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for hypertension.

Results The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension was 5.47%, 7.85%, and 9.92% in 2007–2011, 2012–2016, and 2017–2020, respectively. Long-term trend analysis using Joinpoint analysis over the observation period showed a significantly increasing trend in hypertension prevalence with a mean annual percentage change of 6.4%. Boys, those aged 13–15, those aged 16–18, overweight/obese, and those living in urban areas were more likely to develop hypertension (OR 1.980, 1.492, 3.180, 2.943, and 1.330, respectively).

Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension in Korean adolescents was higher than the global prevalence of hypertension and showed an increase over a 13–year period. Targeted strategies for prevention and early detection of hypertension are needed in this population.