Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Jan;8(1):25-32.
doi: 10.1111/irv.12156. Epub 2013 Aug 20.

Obesity as a risk factor for severe influenza-like illness

Noelle M Cocoros  1 , Timothy L Lash, Alfred DeMaria Jr, Michael Klompas
Affiliations

Obesity as a risk factor for severe influenza-like illness

Noelle M Cocoros et al. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Obesity was recognized as in independent risk factor for influenza during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Objectives: We evaluated the association between body mass index (BMI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) during two non-pandemic influenza seasons (2003-2004 and 2004-2005) and during the spring and fall waves of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

Methods: Adults with severe (inpatient) and mild (outpatient) ILI were compared to those without ILI using a case-cohort design. The study was nested among those insured by a single health insurance company, receiving care from a large multispecialty practice. Data were collected from insurance claims and the electronic health record. The primary exposure was obesity (BMI ≥ 30·0 kg/m(2) ).

Results: Across three seasons, the crude and adjusted ORs for obesity and severe ILI were 1·65 (95% CI 1·31, 2·08) and 1·23 (95% CI 0·97, 1·57), respectively. An association was observed for those aged 20-59 years (adjusted OR 1·92, 95% CI 1·26, 2·90), but not for those 60 and older (adjusted OR 1·08, 95% CI 0·80, 1·46). The adjusted ORs for obesity and severe ILI in 2003-2004, 2004-2005, and during H1N1 were 1·14 (95% CI 0·80, 1·64), 1·24 (95% CI 0·86, 1·79), and 1·76 (95% CI 0·91, 3·42), respectively. Among those with a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of zero, the adjusted ORs for 2003-2004, 2004-2005, and H1N1 were 1·60 (95% CI 0·93, 2·76), 1·43 (95% CI 0·80, 2·56), and 1·90 (95% CI 0·68, 5·27), respectively.

Conclusions: Our results suggest a small to moderate association between obesity and hospitalized ILI among adults.

Keywords: BMI; influenza; obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Kumar A, Zarychanski R, Pinto R, et al. Critically ill patients with 2009 influenza A(H1N1) infection in Canada. JAMA. 2009;302:1872–1879. - PubMed
    1. Louie JK, Acosta M, Winter K, et al. Factors associated with death or hospitalization due to pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) infection in California. JAMA. 2009;302:1896–1902. - PubMed
    1. Napolitano LM, Park PK, Sihler KC, et al. Intensive-care patients with severe novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection – Michigan, June 2009. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2009;58:749–752. - PubMed
    1. Slopen ME, Mosquera MC, Balter S, et al. Patients hospitalized with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) – New York City, May 2009. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;58:1436–1440. - PubMed
    1. Ugarte S, Arancibia F, Soto R. Influenza A pandemics: clinical and organizational aspects: the experience in Chile. Crit Care Med. 2010;38:e133–e137. - PubMed