The present study examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and skinfold thickness (SFT) with blood pressure (BP) in 12-year-old children in Shandong, China. A total of 920 (464 boys and 456 girls) 12-year-old students participated in this study. All subjects were divided into four groups (BMI < 25th, 25th ≤ BMI < 50th, 50th ≤ BMI < 75th, and BMI ≥ 75th) according to the percentile of BMI and into four groups (SFT < 25th, 25th ≤ SFT < 50th, 50th ≤ SFT < 75th, and SFT ≥ 75th) according to the percentile of SFT, respectively. Comparisons of BP among different groups were made by one-way ANOVA. High BP status was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 95th and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 95th percentile for age and gender. BMI and SFT were all significantly (P < 0.001) and positively related to SBP and DBP in both boys and girls. The prevalence of high BP in each group is rising with the percentiles of BMI and SFT in both boys and girls.
Conclusion: There is a strong positive relationship between BMI, SFT, and BP in 12-year-old children; the present findings emphasize the importance of preventing excess BMI and SFT in order to prevent future-related problems such as hypertension in children and adolescents.