Obesity and the receipt of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundObesity is a risk factor for inadequate receipt of recommended preventive care services. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between increasing body mass index and receipt of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted from January 1966 to May 2015 for cohort and cross-sectional studies that assessed the relationship between body mass index and the receipt of vaccinations for influenza and pneumococcus. Separate meta-analyses by obesity classification were performed using a random effects model.ResultsSix cross-sectional and three cohort studies were included. Average vaccine uptake was 50.4 % for influenza vaccination and 34.6 % for pneumococcal vaccination. Compared to normal weight patients, combined odds ratio (95 % confidence interval) for influenza vaccination was 1.11 (95 % CI 0.97–1.25) for obese (≥30 kg/m2) patients. When the outcome was reported by obesity class, combined odds ratios of influenza vaccination were 1.13 (95 % CI 1.02–1.24) for Class I (30–34.9 kg/m2) obesity, 1.21 (95 % CI 1.05–1.37) for Class II obesity (35–39.9 kg/m2), and 1.19 (95 % CI 0.95–1.42) for Class III obesity (≥40 kg/m2) patients. Compared to normal weight patients, combined odds ratio of pneumococcal vaccination were 1.20 (95 % CI 1.13–1.27) for obese patients. When the outcome was reported by obesity class, combined odds ratios were 1.08 (95 % CI 1.04–1.13) for Class I obesity patients, 1.13 (95 % CI 1.10–1.16) for Class II obesity patients, and 1.26 (95 % CI 1.15–1.38) for Class III obesity patients for pneumococcal vaccination.ConclusionsCombined findings from the current literature suggest that adults with obesity are more likely than non-obese peers to receive vaccination for influenza and pneumococcus. However, suboptimal vaccination coverage was observed across all body sizes, so future interventions should focus on improving vaccination rates for all adults.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40608-016-0105-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BMI, Weight Discrimination, and Psychological, Behavioral, and Interpersonal Responses to the Coronavirus Pandemic

“…Despite risks for complications from COVID‐19 associated with obesity (1,14), individuals with higher BMI were no more concerned about the pandemic than individuals with normal weight. Furthermore, although previous research has found fairly consistent evidence that individuals with obesity are more likely to engage in some preventive behaviors, such as flu vaccinations (15), participants with higher BMI were no more or less likely than individuals with lower BMI to engage in behaviors to protect themselves and others against the coronavirus. Given the risks of complications from COVID‐19, precautionary behaviors may be especially important for individuals with higher BMI.…”

Trends, Coverage and Influencing Determinants of Influenza Vaccination in the Elderly: A Population-Based National Survey in Spain (2006–2017)

“…In the current study, the univariate analysis showed that influenza coverage was higher in overweight and obese older people than in those with a normal weight. According to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, people with obesity may be both more likely to perceive higher risk from vaccine-preventable diseases and more accepting of the benefits and safety of recommended vaccinations [68]. On the other hand, the results of this study are in line with other studies [51,[69][70][71], which show that poor self-perceived health status is associated with receiving vaccinations, while a good self-perceived health status is the most common reason for the refusal to be vaccinated.…”

Obesity and Disparities in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for U.S. Adolescent Girls and Young Women

“…One large study identified disrespectful treatment, embarrassment with being weighed, negative attitudes of providers, unsolicited weight loss advice, and poorly fit equipment and facilities as reasons why women with obesity were more likely to delay screening for breast and cervical cancer (Amy, Aalborg, Lyons, & Keranen, 2006). Previous studies have noted mixed findings when assessing disparities by body weight in receipt of HPV, pneumococcus, or influenza vaccinations, but no HPV vaccination studies have included adolescent and adult women in a large, nationally representative sample or controlled for known confounders such as differences in healthcare utilization (Harper et al, 2014; Harris, Moniz, Iott, Power, & Griggs, 2016; Sundaram, Mason, & Basta, 2016).…”