Impact of Asthma on the Association between Childhood Obesity and Influenza
Meredith S Campbell1, Seth W Gregory1, Amy L Weaver2
1D1Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, USA.
Insights
Children with asthma face a doubled risk of medically-attended influenza. Obesity may further increase influenza risk in asthmatic children, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma is a common chronic respiratory condition in children.
- Influenza (flu) poses a significant health risk, especially for vulnerable populations.
- The interplay between asthma, obesity, and influenza risk in pediatric populations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if asthma is a risk factor for medically-attended influenza in children.
- To investigate the association between obesity and influenza in children, particularly those with asthma.
Main Methods:
- A 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted.
- Included 185 children aged 2-18 years with PCR-confirmed influenza.
- Data were collected between 2010 and 2013.
Main Results:
- A history of asthma was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of medically-attended influenza.
- Obesity was not significantly associated with influenza overall in children.
- Among children with asthma, a trend suggested obesity increased influenza risk (OR 4.4, 95% CI 0.93-20.58).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric asthma is a significant risk factor for medically-attended influenza.
- Obesity may exacerbate influenza risk in children with asthma, warranting further research and targeted interventions.
Background:
Despite long-standing recommendations for influenza vaccine in patients with asthma, whether asthma is a risk factor for medically-attended influenza is unclear. Obesity has more recently been found to be a risk factor for severe influenza in adults. Its role in children is less certain.
Materials And Methods:
We conducted a 1:1 matched case-control study of all 185 children 2 to 18 years old with PCR-confirmed influenza at our institution from 2010 to 2013.
Results:
Having a prior history of asthma was 2 times more common (95% CI, 1.24-3.23) among the influenza cases than the controls. Obesity was not associated with influenza overall (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.49-1.83). However, among patients with asthma, influenza cases were 4.4 times more likely to be obese compared with subjects without influenza (95% CI, 0.93-20.58).
Conclusion:
In our population, a prior diagnosis of asthma was associated with a two-fold increased risk of medically-attended influenza. In addition, among patients with asthma there was a trend toward obesity increasing the risk of influenza.
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