Severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized pediatric patients with obesity: A systematic review

This review is intended to evaluate the severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized pediatric patients with obesity. The increased risk of hospitalization in pediatric patients with obesity highlights the need for a thorough investigation into the impact of COVID-19 in this vulnerable population, given the significant public health challenges obesity presents in this age group. The review followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), LILACS (scientific health information from Latin America and the Caribbean countries), Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus databases for relevant articles published between December 2019 and November 2021. Observational studies (cross-sectional and cohort) involving pediatric patients with obesity who tested positive for COVID-19, were hospitalized, and had outcomes related to disease severity parameters such as intensive care unit (ICU) admission, length of ICU stay, and mechanical ventilation) were included. The quality of evidence from the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale. Extracted data included the author, year, country, study design, aim, population, outcomes/severity, and primary results. Eight studies were included in the review. A narrative synthesis was conducted to qualitatively summarize the findings, highlighting that obesity is a potential aggravating factor in the clinical presentation of COVID-19 among hospitalized pediatric patients. The findings revealed a positive association between the pediatric population with obesity and COVID-19 severity, particularly among adolescents, who were at greater risk of developing severe illness. This association was also evident in higher rates of ICU admission and increased use of mechanical ventilation.