National Blood Pressure Screening Study for Children Aged 5 to Under 18 in South Africa Developing Local Blood Pressure Standards and Guidelines for Childhood Hypertension Care

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are conducting a nationwide study in South Africa to develop the first nationally representative blood pressure and anthropometric reference values for children aged 5 to under 18 years. This study addresses the lack of appropriate African ancestry data, which currently results in reliance on European and US standards that may not suit the South African paediatric population. The goal is to improve understanding of blood pressure and hypertension in children and to establish clinical guidelines tailored to this population. The study involves measuring blood pressure and body measurements in a randomized sample of approximately 22,464 school-aged children from all provinces and various urban, peri-urban, and rural settings. Data collection will take place over five years, capturing a diverse group representative of South Africas ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. These measurements will be used to create nomograms and inform national guidelines for hypertension management in children. Participants will have their blood pressure and anthropometric data collected during the study period. Researchers will analyze these data to determine normal reference values and develop clinical practice guidelines for managing childhood hypertension. The information gathered will also support community engagement and awareness initiatives. The studys findings aim to guide healthcare providers and inform national health policies for better paediatric hypertension care in South Africa.

National Blood Pressure Screening in Children to Improve Paediatric Healthcare in South Africa