ArticleDiabetes, obesity & metabolism2021
A global country-level analysis of the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 cases and mortality.
Article in Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2021. 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.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Impact of prior bariatric surgery on risk and severity of COVID-19 infection: A meta-analysis of observational studies.Obesity research & clinical practicePooled it
- Hospital Utilization in Ambulatory Patients With COVID-19 With History of Tobacco Use.AJPM focus · 2025Article
- Review
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- Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients with a Previous Phrenic Nerve Transfer for a Traumatic Brachial Plexus Palsy.Journal of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury · 2024Article
- Global trends in COVID-19 incidence and case fatality rates (2019-2023): a retrospective analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Worldwide Regional Differences in Obesity, Elderly, and COVID-19 Mortality: Do the Exceptions Prove the Rule?Medical research archives · 2023Article
- The role of universal health coverage and global health security nexus and interplay on SARS-CoV-2 infection and case-fatality rates in Africa : a structural equation modeling approach.Globalization and health · 2023Article
- Multiple time-dependent pathophysiological changes in a rabbit model of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia.FEBS open bio · 2023Article
- Impact of good governance, economic growth and universal health coverage on COVID-19 infection and case fatality rates in Africa.Health research policy and systems · 2022Article
- Characteristics and mortality of 561,379 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Germany until December 2021 based on real-life data.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- A narrative review on the role of temperature and humidity in COVID-19: Transmission, persistence, and epidemiological evidence.Eco-Environment & Health · 2022Review
- Interpreting global variations in the toll of COVID-19: The case for context and nuance in hypothesis generation and testing.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- A global country-level analysis of the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 cases and mortality.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimTo assess the association of country-level obesity prevalence with COVID-19 case and mortality rates, to evaluate the impact of obesity prevalence on worldwide variation.
methodsData on COVID-19 prevalence and mortality, country-specific governmental actions, socioeconomic, demographic, and healthcare capacity factors were extracted from publicly available sources. Multivariable negative binomial regression was used to assess the independent association of obesity with COVID-19 case and mortality rates.
resultsAcross 168 countries for which data were available, higher obesity prevalence was associated with increased COVID-19 mortality and prevalence rates. For every 1% increase in obesity prevalence, the mortality rate was increased by 8.3% (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.083, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.048-1.119; P < 0.001) and the case rate was higher by 6.6% (IRR 1.066, 95% CI 1.035-1.099; P < 0.001). Additionally, higher median population age, greater female ratio, higher Human Development Index (HDI), lower population density, and lower hospital bed availability were all significantly associated with higher COVID-19 mortality rate. In addition, stricter governmental actions, higher HDI and lower mean annual temperature were significantly associated with higher COVID-19 case rate.
conclusionThese findings demonstrate that obesity prevalence is a significant and potentially modifiable risk factor of increased COVID-19 national caseload and mortality. Future research to study whether weight loss improves COVID-19 outcomes is urgently required.
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