Resumo

GONZALEZ SANCHEZ, Raquel et al. Relatives's perception of arterial hypertension in children and adolescents. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2011, vol.83, n.1, pp. 65-73. ISSN 1561-3119.

INTRODUCTION. The prevalence of arterial hypertension in children has increased with the inappropriate lifestyles and the obesity posing that the general population know not much on this subject in children. The objective of present research was to characterize the family's perception of arterial hypertension risk and of the information in children and adolescents. METHODS. An exploratory study was conducted in relatives of children and adolescents in a health area of "Plaza" municipality from November, 2009 to April, 2010. Fifty relatives of children aged 3-18 were interviewed accounted for the 20% of children of those ages seen in the medical consulting room. Techniques used were: direct observation, direct interview and experts' criterion (DELPHI) technique and also a percentage analysis was made. RESULTS. The perception of relatives on arterial hypertension in children is not appropriate. Although the 78% declares that this condition exist, the 70% has not information on this subject and the 30% has information and only the 14% has obtained this information in the consulting room. From the 26% of children where blood pressure was measured, only the 6% corresponded to systematic measurements as part of the physical examination. CONCLUSIONS. There is not a good perception of the infantile arterial hypertension in study population due to the scarce information in this respect and the poor criterion of the blood pressure in childhood.

Palavras-chave : Risk perception; infantile arterial hypertension.

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