Introduction:

the adults' arterial hypertension begins in childhood, therefore the risk perception must increase in pediatric ages.

Objective:

to raise knowledge level on arterial hypertension in adolescents from the high school Antonio Rodriguez, municipality of Colon, province of Matanzas.

Materials and methods:

an educational interventional study was carried out in 80 8th-grade students, in the period from February 2017 to June 2018. A survey was applied to measure risk perception of developing the disease, knowledge on risk factors and symptoms of arterial hypertension before and after intervention. Four groups of 20 teenagers were created, having a weekly session during six weeks. Six themes related to the disease were developed, using different participatory techniques of health education.

Results:

96.1% of adolescents did not perceive the risk of developing hypertension before the intervention. After it, risk perception was present in 65.4% of them. 43.6% of participants did not know the risk factors, and 69.2 % did not know the symptoms. After the intervention, 73% of the sample had partial knowledge on risk factors; 57.7% knew the symptoms, and 37.2% knew them partially.

Conclusions:

the educational intervention on arterial hypertension contributed to raise knowledge and risk perception in adolescents. Elements were given to modify unhealthy lifestyles.

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