Endocrinol Metab.  2021 Feb;36(1):196-200. 10.3803/EnM.2020.856.

Overweight and Obesity are Risk Factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Propensity Score-Matched Case-Control Study

• Ji W
• Lee R
• Huh K
• Kang M
• Hwang IC
• Radnaabaatar M
• Lee DH
• Jung J

• KMID: 2513302
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.856

Abstract

Although obesity is a risk factor for infection, whether it has the same effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) need confirming. We conducted a retrospective propensity score matched case-control study to examine the association between obesity and COVID-19. This study included data from the Nationwide COVID-19 Registry and the Biennial Health Checkup database, until May 30, 2020. We identified 2,231 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 10-fold-matched negative test controls. Overweight (body mass index [BMI] 23 to 24.9 kg/m²; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1.03 to 1.30) and class 1 obesity (BMI 25 to 29.9 kg/m²; aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.42) had significantly increased COVID-19 risk, while classes 2 and 3 obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) showed similar but non-significant trend. Females and those <50 years had more robust association pattern. Overweight and obesity are possible risk factors of COVID-19.

Keyword

COVID-19; Obesity; Overweight; Infections

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Flowchart of the patient selection process. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; NHIS, National Health Insurance Service.

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  Fig. 2 Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for patients who were confirmed with coronavirus disease 2019 and the negative test controls. CI, confidence interval; PS, propensity score.

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