ASHA Study Publications & Presentations

Explore the latest presentations and publications from the ASHA Study team. Our work aims to advance the understanding of cardiovascular health in South Asian youth, with a focus on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Presentations

Establishing Normative 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Data for South Asian Children

Presented by Heather Ajoy

This poster describes a cross-sectional study collecting 24-hour ABPM data from over 500 South Asian children aged 5–17 in Ontario and British Columbia to create age- and sex-specific reference values, and examines associations with BMI, physical activity, and diet.

Understanding the Experiences and Perceptions of South Asian Children and Caregivers When Wearing 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring and Accelerometer Devices: A Qualitative Study

Presented by Namagal Gowrikanthan

This qualitative study reports on interviews with child–caregiver dyads, finding that while accelerometers were generally comfortable, ABPM devices caused physical discomfort and anxiety, highlighting the need for more child-friendly designs and clearer educational resources.

The Prevalence of Hypertension and Blood Pressure Patterns in South Asian Children Living in Canada

Presented by Eisha Arvikar & Shlok Panchal

Using data from 253 South Asian youths wearing ABPM devices, this interim analysis shows that hypertension is most prevalent among younger female children aged 9–11 who are overweight, and over half of participants exhibit abnormal nocturnal dipping without clear ties to sex, BMI, or age.

Demographic Diversity in Pediatric Cardiovascular Research: Assessing the Representativeness of the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in South Asian Children Study

Presented by Aleena Jivraj & Manchit Singh Kalra

This poster evaluates how closely the ASHA cohort mirrors the broader South Asian pediatric population in Canada, identifying overrepresentation of higher-income families and certain subgroups, and recommending strategies to reduce recruitment bias for more generalizable results.

Deriving Normative Data on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for South Asian Children (ASHA)

Presented by Shanzey Ali

Reporting on ongoing recruitment of 251 participants, this study achieves 90% ABPM completeness and 72% overall data completeness to establish normative ABPM references, emphasizing feasibility while outlining strengths, limitations, and plans to recruit over 2,700 children across Ontario and British Columbia.

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Deriving Normative Data on 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for South Asian Children (ASHA): A Clinical Research Protocol
Published in: Can J Kidney Health Dis, 2022 Jan 31
Authors: Samina Nazarali, Cal H Robinson, Farah Khan, Tayler Pocsai, Dipika Desai, Russell J De Souza, Girish Bhatt, Allison Dart, Janis Dionne, Salma Elmansy, Sujane Kandasamy, Scott A Lear, Joyce Obeid, Rulan Parekh, Zubin Punthakee, Rajiv Sinha, Lehana Thabane, Gita Wahi, Michael Zappitelli, Sonia S Anand, Rahul Chanchlani
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This publication focuses on establishing normative height-sex and age-sex-specific reference values for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) among South Asian children and adolescents. The research contributes to improved understanding and prevention of hypertension in this population.