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Skeletal Muscle Mass and Visceral Fat are Independently Associated with Poorly Controlled Asthma in Children with

Zhiyuan Wang1, Junlin Zhao1, Yanan Wang1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.

Journal of Asthma and Allergy
|July 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Children with obesity and asthma have lower skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and higher visceral fat area (VFA). These body composition factors, along with lung function, are linked to poor asthma control in pediatric obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • The interplay between obesity, body composition, and asthma control in children is not fully understood.
  • Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and visceral fat area (VFA) are key indicators of body composition that may influence asthma severity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare body composition between obese children with and without asthma.
  • To investigate the association between body composition metrics and asthma control in children with obesity.

Main Methods:

  • 191 children (ages 6-14) with obesity were enrolled; 85 had asthma.
  • Skeletal muscle mass (SMM)-to-body weight (WT) ratio and visceral fat area (VFA) were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis.
  • Asthma control was assessed using validated questionnaires; statistical analyses included logistic regression and ROC curves.

Main Results:

  • Children with obesity and asthma had significantly lower SMM/WT compared to those with simple obesity.
  • Poorly controlled asthma in obese children was associated with lower SMM/WT and higher VFA.
  • Independent predictors of poorly controlled asthma included lower SMM/WT, higher VFA, higher maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) percent predicted, and higher extracellular water to total body water ratio (ECW/TBW).

Conclusions:

  • Lower SMM/WT and higher VFA are independently associated with poorly controlled asthma in children with obesity.
  • A four-variable model incorporating body composition and lung function demonstrated good predictive discrimination for asthma control.
  • Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings for clinical application.
Abstract

Keywords:
asthmapediatric obesitysarcopenic obesityskeletal muscle massvisceral fat

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