BLOOD PRESSURE PROFILE AND DIETARY INTAKE OF STUDENTS EXEMPTED FROM PUBLIC GENERAL EDUCATION COLLEGES IN THE COMMUNE OF MISSERETE

Physical education is part of the compulsory curriculum in secondary schools in Benin. Despite being compulsory, it is observed that some students claim to be exempted from it in the first weeks of the school year. The main reasons cited, supported either rightly or wrongly by medical authority, include chest pains during exertion, heart palpitations, dizziness, high blood pressure, health conditions incompatible with physical education for a duration of one year or indefinite, etc.. Thus, faced with an increasingly high rate of exempted students, the dietary consumption of 126 exempted students, including 79 girls and 47 boys from public secondary schools in the commune of Misserete, was analyzed to establish a link with their blood pressure profile. The results revealed that none of the surveyed exempted students from these schools were hypertensive because they have good dietary habits. 45.2% are underweight and 12.6% are overweight or obese. Regarding dietary consumption, none of them consume alcoholic beverages or tobacco. 86.5% walk 2 to more than 3km to school, while 10.3% and 3.2% respectively come by bicycle and motorcycle. In conclusion, the study raised concerns about the sincerity of the statements of all exempted students as well as the certificates issued by medical authority. However, further research is needed to confirm or refute these results.