Abstract: PUB279
Utility of Sports Physicals in Screening for Pediatric Hypertension
Session Information
Category: Hypertension and CVD
- 1601 Hypertension and CVD: Basic
Authors
- Simmons, Emily, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, Washington, United States
- Lipp, Peyton Taylor, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, Washington, United States
- Cortner, Matthew J, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, Washington, United States
- Chen, Ashton, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
- Cigner, Petr, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, Washington, United States
Background
Pediatric hypertension (HTN) has been on the rise for decades due to multiple factors including childhood obesity, decreased physical activity, and consumption of highly processed foods. The 2017 AAP Blood Pressure Clinical Practice Guideline encourages annual blood pressure (BP) screenings to detect pediatric HTN earlier, though adherence remains low. With a prevalence of 2-5% in American adolescents, a gap exists in the realm of direct patient-to-provider pathways to treat HTN, particularly in underserved communities. We hypothesize that implementing a primary care referral pathway through pre-participation physical examinations (sports physicals) screening will improve the diagnosis of pediatric HTN and provide an access point for patient care.
Methods
Retrospective chart review of sports physicals completed during 8/19/2023-2/24/2025 at Yakima School District in Yakima, WA, an underserved community in central Washington. The sample size (N=246) was determined by Z-score of 95% confidence interval. Inclusion criteria included participants ages 13-19 with normal and elevated manual BP readings as outlined by the 2017 AAP guideline; exclusion criteria limited to chart completion. The charts were anonymized, and data were collected for: age, sex, height, weight, BPs, and referral recommendation.
Results
In N=246, the prevalence of abnormal readings was a total of 140 (56.91%) affected participants. This included elevated systolic BP in 50 patients (20.33%), elevated diastolic BP in 19 patients (7.72%), and both elevated systolic and diastolic BP in 71 patients (28.86%). Only six (4.29%) patients with an abnormal reading received repeat in-office BP measurements after an initial hypertensive reading during their sports physical. Additionally, just three (2.14%) of adolescents with high BP received recommendation for follow-up.
Conclusion
Sports physical clinics provide access to healthcare and an effective screening tool for pediatric HTN that otherwise may go undiagnosed. The utility of a no-cost physical exam by medical students with physician oversight serves secondary benefit to detect disease processes earlier in their course. By highlighting the prevalence of elevated BPs obtained at sports physical clinics, we identified an opportunity to optimize this outreach clinic to detect disease in an underserved population.