Appliance of ROC analysis on prediction of body mass index on relative high blood pressure in adolescents

  Objective   To identify the use of body mass index(BMI)to predict the relative high blood pressure in Beijing youth, and analyze the sensitivity and specificity according to the Chinese BMIcriteria for children and adolescents.

  Methods   1850 subjects(995 boys and 855 girls)aged 14~16 were randomly selected, and their body weight, height and blood pressures were measured.

  Results   operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was performed by using BMIas predictors.

  Results   BMI values could predicthigh blood pressure with the areas under the ROCcurve, which was 0.789 for boys and 0.680 for girls(both, P < 0.001).Cut-offs of over weight gave better sensitivity than that of the obesity, whereas the specificity of the obesity cut-offs of obesity hade much higher specificity.

  Conclusion   BMImay predicthigh blood pressure with a reasonable profile of sensitivity and specificity, especially in boys.