Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39482451›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of obesity (2005)2025

The association of overweight, obesity, and long-term obesity with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a meta-analysis of 9 population-based cohorts from the Netherlands Cohorts Consortium.

Bette Loef, Jolanda M A Boer, Marian Beekman, Sophie L Campman, Emiel O Hoogendijk, Floris Huider, Demi M E Pagen, Marije J Splinter, Jeroen H P M van der Velde, Dorret I Boomsma and 18 more

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of obesity (2005), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

28 authors.

Bette LoefCenter for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands. bette.loef@rivm.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-0511-5160
Jolanda M A BoerCenter for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-9714-4304
Marian BeekmanDepartment of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0585-6206
Sophie L CampmanDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Emiel O HoogendijkDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Floris HuiderNetherlands Twin Register, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) and Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institutes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Demi M E PagenDepartment of Social Medicine, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Marije J SplinterDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jeroen H P M van der VeldeDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Dorret I BoomsmaNetherlands Twin Register, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) and Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institutes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7099-7972
Pieter C DagnelieDepartment of Internal Medicine and Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Jenny van DongenNetherlands Twin Register, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) and Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institutes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Eco J C de GeusNetherlands Twin Register, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) and Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institutes, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Martijn HuismanDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
M Arfan IkramDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0372-8585
Annemarie KosterDepartment of Social Medicine, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1583-7391
Silvan LicherDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jochen O MierauDepartment of Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Renée de MutsertDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
H Susan J PicavetCenter for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
Frits R RosendaalDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2558-7496
Miranda T SchramDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
P Eline SlagboomDepartment of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Evie van der SpoelDepartment of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Karien StronksAmsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
W M Monique VerschurenCenter for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2134-4227
Saskia W van den BergCenter for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
Lifelines Corona Research initiative

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObesity may affect an individual's immune response and subsequent risk of infection, such as a SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is less clear whether overweight and long-term obesity also constitute risk factors. We investigated the association between the degree and duration of overweight and obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

methodsWe analyzed data from nine prospective population-based cohorts of the Netherlands Cohorts Consortium, with a total of 99,570 participants, following a standardized procedure. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were assessed two times before the pandemic, with approximately 5 years between measurements. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined by self-report as a positive PCR or rapid-antigen test or as COVID-19 ascertained by a physician between March 2020 and January 2023. For three cohorts, information on SARS-CoV-2 infection by serology was available. Results were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses and adjusted for age, sex, educational level, and number of SARS-CoV-2 infection measurements.

resultsIndividuals with overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m

conclusionOverweight and obesity were associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection with stronger associations for obesity. Individuals with a healthier weight prior to the pandemic but previous obesity did not have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that weight loss in those with obesity reduces infection risk. These results underline the importance of obesity prevention and weight management for public health.

Indexed as

COVID-19ObesityOverweightAdultAgedBody Mass IndexCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsProspective StudiesRisk FactorsSARS-CoV-2Waist Circumference

Identifiers

PMID39482451
PMCPMC11999864

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.