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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Weight excess association with severity in children and adolescents with COVID-19: A systematic review

Mayara Luíza Oliveira da Silva Kist1, Gabriela Rupp Hanzen Andrades1, Caroline Abud Drumond Costa2

  • 1Post Graduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health of PUCRS - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Partenon, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, RS, Brazil.

Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
|May 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is a growing concern, and its link to severe COVID-19 outcomes in pediatric patients requires more research. Current studies show limited evidence of obesity as a prognostic factor for worse COVID-19 evolution in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health & Epidemiology
  • Pediatric Endocrinology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue, paralleling the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Adult studies indicate obesity is an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19.
  • Limited research exists on the impact of excess weight on COVID-19 severity in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the existing literature on the relationship between excess weight and COVID-19 severity in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review adhering to PRISMA standards.
  • Searched multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, BVS/LILACS, SciELO) in September 2020.
  • Included 11 studies after screening 667 articles; assessed quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Main Results:

  • Only 5 of the included studies specifically examined obesity's relation to adverse COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Out of these 5 studies, only one demonstrated obesity as a prognostic factor for worse COVID-19 progression in pediatric patients.
  • Most included studies were unicentric and from the USA; 8 achieved high-quality scores.

Conclusions:

  • There is a scarcity of research investigating the association between excess weight and severe COVID-19 outcomes in pediatric populations.
  • Given the established link in adults, further investigation into this relationship in children and adolescents is warranted.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19Child obesityCorona virusOverweightPediatric intensive care unit

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