Are teenagers at risk for developing cardiovascular disease in later life?
-
Kameel Mungrue
,
Azizah Fyzul
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study is to measure the occurrences of the following risk factors: tobacco use, levels of physical activity, levels of physical inactivity, and body mass index (BMI) among adolescents in Trinidad.
Methods: A two-stage random sampling process was used to select schools and students. Data were collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire and included age, gender, ethnicity, tobacco use, levels of physical activity, levels of physical inactivity, BMI, and frequency of fast food consumption.
Results: Overall, 44.6% of the 1896 adolescents already had more than two risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The most prevalent risk factor was the consumption of fast food (79.8%), while the least was smoking (12.0%). Out of the 75.4% physically active students, 47.6% spent more than 30 min in daily physical activity. In addition, 30.4% of the study population was overweight and obese, with the majority being 14 years of age (p=0.003). Overall, the overweight and obese students spent a significant amount of time watching television, playing video/computer games and talking on the phone, and frequently consumed fast food (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The study found a significant number of teenagers in Trinidad presenting with more than two risk factors that may lead to CVD. Based on previous research, these findings have undoubtedly placed the students well within the models used to predict heart disease later in life.
©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
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Articles in the same Issue
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- Masthead
- Editorial
- The young and suicide
- Original Articles
- Risk of developing diabetes and dyslipidemia among adolescents with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
- Health and educational performance among young migrants
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- Unwanted sexual experiences among adolescents: shedding light on the gray zone between consensual and non-consensual sex
- Are teenagers at risk for developing cardiovascular disease in later life?
- Adolescent suicide: characterizing the need and identifying the predictive factors for preventive consultation or hospitalization in a rural community setting
- Tattoo, piercing, and adolescent tobacco consumption
- Adolescents with diabetes: support from healthcare teams and families
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