Association between overweight or obesity and the risk for childhood asthma and wheeze: An updated meta‐analysis on 18 articles and 73 252 children

Summary Background Overweight or obesity is increasingly recognized as a possible risk factor for childhood asthma. Objectives We aimed to meta‐analyse the association between overweight or obesity and the risk for childhood asthma and wheeze and meanwhile explore potential causes of between‐study heterogeneity. Methods Literature search, study selection, and data extraction were performed independently and in duplicate. Data were analysed by STATA software. Results Eighteen articles and 73 252 children were analysed. In overall analyses, there was a significant association between overweight or obesity and the risk for childhood asthma (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23‐1.39; P