SynthesisBMJ open2020
Healthcare utilisation in overweight and obese children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Are children with obesity at school entry more likely to have a diagnosis of a musculoskeletal condition? Findings from a systematic review.BMJ paediatrics open · 2022Pooled it
- Change in Weight Status Among Children Who Do and Do Not Participate in Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment for Obesity.Childhood obesity (Print) · 2024Trial
- Clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and healthcare utilization among children, adolescents, and young adults with obesity in the United States.Obesity pillars · 2026Article
- Body mass index impact on health care utilization among people with diabetes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Obesity in children and adolescents: Scoping exercise and prioritization for World Health Organization clinical guidelines.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2025Article
- Prevalence and Associated Factors of Overweight/Obesity Among Women in the Reproductive Age Group (15-49) in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Association between adolescent obesity and early adulthood healthcare utilization-a two-cohort prospective study.BMC medicine · 2025Article
- Scaling up structured lifestyle interventions to improve the management of cardiometabolic diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review of strategies, methods and outcomes.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Post-hospitalisation asthma management in primary care: a retrospective cohort study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024Article
- Article
- Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Children: Current Practices and Outcomes.Current obesity reports · 2024Review
- General and central obesity prevalence in young adult: a study based on the Rafsanjan youth cohort study.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aims to systematically analyse the association of overweight and obesity with health service utilisation during childhood. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and Web of Science.
methodsObservational studies published up to May 2020 that assessed the impact of overweight and obesity on healthcare utilisation in children and adolescents were included. Studies were eligible for inclusion if the included participants were ≤19 years of age. Findings from all included studies were summarised narratively. In addition, rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated in a meta-analysis on a subgroup of eligible studies. OUTCOME MEASURES: Included studies reported association of weight status with healthcare utilisation measures of outpatient visits, emergency department (ED) visits, general practitioner visits, hospital admissions and hospital length of stay.
resultsThirty-three studies were included in the review. When synthesising the findings from all studies narratively, obesity and overweight were found to be positively associated with increased healthcare utilisation in children for all the outcome measures. Six studies reported sufficient data to meta-analyse association of weight with outpatient visits. Five studies were included in a separate meta-analysis for the outcome measure of ED visits. In comparison with normal-weight children, rates of ED (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.68) and outpatient visits (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.20) were significantly higher in obese children. The rates of ED and outpatient visits by overweight children were only slightly higher and non-significant compared with normal-weight children.
conclusionsObesity in children is associated with increased healthcare utilisation. Future research should assess the impact of ethnicity and obesity-associated health conditions on increased healthcare utilisation in children with overweight and obesity. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018091752.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.