Contributing factors to intervention strategies for elevated blood pressure during medical selection of Air Force flying cadets
10.3760/cma.j.cn113854-20240805-00123
- VernacularTitle:空军招飞医学选拔中高限血压相关因素及干预分析
- Author:
Haibin ZOU
1
;
Lin GONG
;
Xueting DOU
;
Ke SHI
;
Hongliang SUN
;
Liping XU
Author Information
1. 东部战区空军医院卫勤处，南京 210002
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Blood pressure;
Medical selection;
Flying cadets
- From:
Chinese Journal of Aerospace Medicine
2025;36(3):215-218
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the contributing factors to elevated blood pressure in borderline cases during medical selection for recruitment of Air Force flying cadets in order to enhance the accuracy of selection.Methods:Blood pressure was measured among 2 350 male high school graduates in the 2022 re-selection phase of medical selection of Air Force flying cadets. None of the participants had a family history of hypertension according to previous health checkups. Identified through blood pressure measurement, subjects with borderline hypertension were assigned to an intervention group (self-intervention with personalized correction plans) and a control group (self-intervention alone) using a random number table. Standardized blood pressure measurements and comprehensive medical history reviews were performed to compare pre- and post-intervention outcomes across the 2 groups, followed by an investigation into the causative mechanisms of elevated blood pressure.Results:Among the 102 cases of borderline hypertension (51 per group) identified, primary contributing factors included the white-coat phenomenon (41.2%), pre-examination physical activity (17.6%), pre-examination medications (3.9%) and poor sleep quality (35.3%). No significant differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were observed between the 2 groups at baseline (both P>0.05). After interventions, the intervention group showed significantly lower SBP ( t=3.13, P=0.002) and DBP ( t=7.68, P<0.001) than the control group. Both groups exhibited reductions in SBP and DBP from baseline ( t=6.63, 8.97, 4.13, 2.03, P<0.001, <0.001, <0.001, =0.043). The percentage of students with normal blood pressure was 96.1% (49/51) in the intervention group and 78.4% (40/51) in the control group. Conclusions:Transient blood pressure elevation in selection settings primarily stems from the white-coat phenomenon, physical exertion, medications and sleep disturbances. Standardizing blood pressure measurement protocols and addressing transient factors can help avoid unwarranted disqualifications and ensure the accuracy of selection.
