Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Modeling Dysplastic and Functional Lung Alveolar Repair after Influenza Infection
07:45

Modeling Dysplastic and Functional Lung Alveolar Repair after Influenza Infection

Published on: September 19, 2025

543

Dose-response relationship between weight status and clinical outcomes in pediatric influenza-related respiratory

Yusuke Okubo1,2, Nobuaki Michihata3, Kazuhiro Uda4

  • 1Department of Social Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Pediatric Pulmonology
|December 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Underweight children hospitalized with influenza are at higher risk for readmission and longer stays. This study highlights underweight status as a key risk factor for pediatric influenza-related respiratory infections.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Public health and epidemiology
  • Childhood obesity and nutrition

Background:

  • The relationship between weight status and influenza outcomes in children is not well understood.
  • Influenza-related respiratory infections pose a significant health burden on pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dose-response associations between weight status (underweight, normal-weight, overweight, obese) and clinical outcomes in children hospitalized with influenza.
  • To identify specific weight categories that may indicate increased risk for severe influenza outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a Japanese national inpatient database including over 27,000 children under 18 with influenza-related respiratory diagnoses.
  • Classification of patients into four weight groups (underweight, normal-weight, overweight, obese) using WHO criteria.
  • Multivariable regression models and restricted cubic spline functions were used to compare intensive care needs, 30-day readmission rates, hospitalization costs, and length of stay.

Main Results:

  • Underweight children experienced significantly higher 30-day readmission rates (aOR 1.68) and longer hospital stays (0.23 days longer) compared to normal-weight children.
  • No significant differences were found in intensive care needs or hospitalization costs across weight groups.
  • A z-score of -0.95 (17th percentile) was identified as the threshold for a statistically significant association between weight status and 30-day readmission.

Conclusions:

  • Underweight status is identified as a significant risk factor for recurrent hospital admissions due to influenza-related respiratory infections in children.
  • These findings underscore the importance of considering nutritional status in managing pediatric influenza cases.
  • Further research may explore targeted interventions for underweight children to mitigate influenza-related complications.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrendiagnosis procedure combination inpatient databaseinfluenzaunderweight

More Related Videos

Assessing Respiratory Immune Responses to Haemophilus Influenzae06:32

Assessing Respiratory Immune Responses to Haemophilus Influenzae

Published on: June 29, 2021

2.6K
Influenza A Virus Studies in a Mouse Model of Infection10:44

Influenza A Virus Studies in a Mouse Model of Infection

Published on: September 7, 2017

29.9K

Related Concept Videos

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
337
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
284
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
335
Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy01:22

Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy

The potency of a drug is the measure of its ability to produce a biological response and can be compared by looking at the half-maximum effective concentration or EC50 values of different drugs. A lower EC50 value indicates higher potency of the drug. In the dose–response curve of two antihypertensive drugs, candesartan and irbesartan, a significant difference is observed in their EC50 values. A lower EC50 value for candesartan indicates that it is more potent than irbesartan, as it...
6.7K
Dose Response Curve: Conventional Versus Nonmonotonic01:21

Dose Response Curve: Conventional Versus Nonmonotonic

The correlation between a drug's dosage and its impact on a biological system is a cornerstone of pharmacology and toxicology. Conventional dose–response curves, which include graded and quantal relationships, are key to this understanding. Graded dose–response curves depict the spectrum of a biological reaction to different doses within an individual, indicating that as the drug dosage increases, so does the intensity of the response. On the other hand, quantal dose–response...
31
Drug Dosing: Obese Patients01:21

Drug Dosing: Obese Patients

In the United States, obesity is a prominent concern. It is linked to heightened mortality rates due to increased occurrences of conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and diabetes compared to nonobese individuals. A patient is classified as obese if their actual body weight surpasses the ideal or desirable body weight by 20%, based on Metropolitan Life Insurance Company data. Ideal body weights consider average weights and heights for males and females...
275