Obesity and risk of placenta accreta spectrum: A meta-analysis

Some studies have indicated a notable association between obesity and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), while others have not reported. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to explore the association between obesity and the risk of PAS.

To explore the association between obesity and PAS through observational studies, we conducted a systematic search across PubMed, Web of Science, Google scholar, and Scopus databases up to March 30, 2024. The meta-analysis utilized a random-effect model, with the quality of included studies assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant using Stata software, version 14 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA).

The association between obesity and PAS risk in crude studies showed significance (1.51 [95% CI: 1.19, 1.82; I ² = 0.0%]). However, in adjusted studies, the association was not significant (1.25 [95% CI: 0.45, 2.05; I ² = 52.0%]).

These findings suggest that obesity has been proposed as potentially associated with a higher risk of PAS, particularly evident in crude studies. However, it is imperative to conduct prospective cohort studies with a large sample size and meticulous control of confounding variables to further elucidate this relationship.