TY - JOUR T1 - Relationship between community prevalence of obesity and associated behavioral factors and community rates of influenza-related hospitalizations in the United States. AU - Charland,Katia M, AU - Buckeridge,David L, AU - Hoen,Anne G, AU - Berry,Jay G, AU - Elixhauser,Anne, AU - Melton,Forrest, AU - Brownstein,John S, Y1 - 2012/11/08/ PY - 2012/11/10/entrez PY - 2012/11/10/pubmed PY - 2014/3/13/medline KW - Diet KW - exercise KW - influenza KW - influenza-like illness KW - obesity SP - 718 EP - 28 JF - Influenza and other respiratory viruses JO - Influenza Other Respir Viruses VL - 7 IS - 5 N2 - BACKGROUND: Findings from studies examining the association between obesity and acute respiratory infection are inconsistent. Few studies have assessed the relationship between obesity-related behavioral factors, such as diet and exercise, and risk of acute respiratory infection. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether community prevalence of obesity, low fruit/vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity are associated with influenza-related hospitalization rates. METHODS: Using data from 274 US counties, from 2002 to 2008, we regressed county influenza-related hospitalization rates on county prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30), low fruit/vegetable consumption (<5 servings/day), and physical inactivity (<30 minutes/month recreational exercise), while adjusting for community-level confounders such as insurance coverage and the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 population. RESULTS: A 5% increase in obesity prevalence was associated with a 12% increase in influenza-related hospitalization rates [adjusted rate ratio (ARR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07, 1.17]. Similarly, a 5% increase in the prevalence of low fruit/vegetable consumption and physical inactivity was associated with an increase of 12% (ARR 1.12, 95% CI 1.08, 1.17) and 11% (ARR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07, 1.16), respectively. When all three variables were included in the same model, a 5% increase in prevalence of obesity, low fruit/vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity was associated with 6%, 8%, and 7% increases in influenza-related hospitalization rates, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Communities with a greater prevalence of obesity were more likely to have high influenza-related hospitalization rates. Similarly, less physically active populations, with lower fruit/vegetable consumption, tended to have higher influenza-related hospitalization rates, even after accounting for obesity. SN - 1750-2659 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/23136926/full_citation L2 - https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.12019 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -