The Role of Childhood Obesity in Acute Presentations and Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Background and objectiveThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has affected all regions, demographics, and age groups worldwide. However, few studies have investigated the prevalence of childhood obesity and severe COVID-19 presentation in a predominately Hispanic population. In light of this, we investigated the role of underlying obesity in COVID-19 presentations and outcomes at a tertiary care children’s hospital by using subcategories based on patients' body mass index (BMI).MethodsWe conducted a single-center retrospective study involving 77 pediatric patients aged 18 years and younger, who were hospitalized with suspected or verified COVID-19 between February 2020 and January 2021. We collected data on height, weight, and BMI and categorized patients based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition(s) of obesity. We also collected data on demographics, mode of presentation, need for pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, the severity of illness at the time of PICU admission, and data related to outcomes. We analyzed the data using logistical regression with Firth’s biased reduction method wherever applicable.ResultsIn our cohort, over 85% of the patients identified as belonging to Hispanic ethnicity (n=66); the median age of the cohort was 8.69 years, and 50.65% were classified as obese (n=39). We found a statistically significant relationship between underlying obesity and one or more comorbidities (p