Effectiveness of Jacobson s progressive muscle relaxation on hypertension and educational stress among school going adolescents

Abstract

Hypertension is a common disease associated with high mortality and newlinemorbidity. During a childand#8223;s hospital visit for a fever or upper respiratory tract newlineinfection, usually temperature, body weight are measured; but not the blood newlinepressure. Also at schools during the periodic health check up only newlineanthropometry is measured not the blood pressure. Hypertension could have newlineits origin in childhood and go undetected unless specially looked for during newlinethis period. Unlike in adults the normal blood pressure values in children vary newlineaccording to their age, gender and height (NHBPEP, 2005). Hence the normal newlineblood pressure for an eleven year old male child with normal height may not newlinebe normal for another eleven year old female child with less height. newlineGlobalization is bringing more lifestyle modifications. Adolescents are newlineexposed to multiple risk factors including obesity, unhealthy eating habits, newlineacademic stress, and lack of physical work apart from hereditary risk factors. newlineEarly diagnosis of hypertension is an important strategy for its control, newlineeffective treatment and prevention of complications. Many studies had newlinerevealed the prevalence of hypertension among adolescents. Though many newlinerisk factors were postulated for hypertension, the gap in knowledge is that no newlinestudies are reported on the effectiveness of interventions like relaxation newlinetechnique for hypertension among adolescents. newlineThe study aims to measure the biophysiological variables like heart newlinerate, blood pressure; and to check the anthropometry including height, weight,body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) newlineand waist hip ratio (WHR). The study also investigates the related variables newlinelike their positive family history, physical activity level, eating habits, newlineeducational stress and selected biochemical parameters. The investigator newlineconducted the present study to find the association between hypertension and newlineeducational stress; and to determine the effectiveness of Jacobsonand#8223;s newlineprogressive muscle relaxation (JPMR) on hypertension