ArticleClinical and experimental pediatrics2020
The COVID-19 pandemic: an unprecedented tragedy in the battle against childhood obesity.
Article in Clinical and experimental pediatrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 97 citations in OpenAlex.
- German-speaking medical students on international electives: an analysis of popular elective destinations and disciplines.Globalization and health · 2021Pooled it
- Nationwide trends in pediatric obesity in Thailand, 2015-2023: prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and COVID-19-related disparities.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Body Mass Index Changes from Before to 3 Years After the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study in a Single Elementary School.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 Diagnosis on Weight Trajectories of Children in the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative.Childhood obesity (Print) · 2025Article
- Life changes and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Chinese children and adolescents before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: a combination of cross-sectional, longitudinal, and clustering studies.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Article
- Addressing childhood obesity in Iran: exploring a multifaceted conceptual model in a low/middle income country through stakeholder lens.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 Diagnosis on Weight Trajectories of Children in the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Body Mass Index of Primary School Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds.Sports medicine - open · 2024Article
- Long-term trends in international medical electives fees: a database mining study.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- The user-centered design and development of a childhood and adolescent obesity Electronic Health Record tool, a mixed-methods study.Frontiers in digital health · 2024Article
- How did previously obese children and adolescents behave during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in relation to weight gain?Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo · 2024Observational
- Childhood Mediterranean Diet Adherence Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Childhood Obesity, Specific Sociodemographic, and Lifestyle Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pre-School Children.Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Kids gone wild - Alcohol use and patient characteristics in pediatric trauma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.Pediatric investigation · 2023Article
- Review
- Addressing childhood obesity through policy: A cross-sectional study in Malta.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2023Article
- Protocol Study: Resistance Training Program, Nutritional, Sleep, and Screen Use Recommendations in Schoolchildren from Educational Centers in the Extreme South of Chile.Methods and protocols · 2023Article
- Measured vs estimated resting energy expenditure in children and adolescents with obesity.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Pediatric COVID-19 and Diabetes: An Investigation into the Intersection of Two Pandemics.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Body Composition and Phase Angle: How to Improve Nutritional Evaluation in Juvenile Dermatomyositis Patients.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Increase of Prevalence of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents in Korea during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the KNHANES.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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1 author.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The childhood obesity pandemic has emerged as an important public health problem in many countries. Obese children are likely to become obese adults, and adult obesity is associated with an increased risk of morbidity. Therefore, controlling the childhood obesity epidemic has become a top public health priority worldwide. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may significantly impede this important mission and constitute an unprecedented tragedy in the global battle against childhood obesity. This manuscript presents evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will aggravate the childhood obesity epidemic and lead to significant weight gain in school children by creating an unprecedented obesogenic environment. Within the last few months, many countries took uncompromising measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures and quarantine. While these steps are often necessary to ensure infection control, they may have a significant negative effect on children's mental and physical health. Physical, nutritional, and psychosocial factors that promote obesity in children during this special situation complementarily contribute to an unprecedented obesogenic environment. Large-scale quarantine and home confinement will impose new and unfamiliar stressors on children, thereby worsening the childhood obesity epidemic. Most importantly, adverse childhood events resulting from a predicted increase in domestic violence within the next few months will significantly contribute to this concern. The scenario presented in this review is of paramount public health importance and must be considered during future pandemic planning. Involved stakeholders, including governments, schools, and families, must make all possible efforts to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on childhood obesity.
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