Associations between BMI and hospital resource use in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in England: a community-based cohort study
Main finding · Duration of hospital stayResult — go to the resultIncidence rate ratio 1.07 95% CI 1.03–1.10Authors' conclusion
Patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 with a BMI above the healthy range had longer stays, were more likely to be admitted to ICU, and had higher health-care costs associated with hospital treatment of COVID-19 infection as a result. This information can inform national resource allocation to match hospital capacity to areas where BMI profiles indicate higher demand.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged 20–99 years admitted to hospital in England with COVID-19 between April 1, 2020, and Dec 31, 2021, registered with a QResearch general practitioner (GP) surgery with ≥1 BMI value before April 1, 2020
- Participants
- 57,415 patients
- Exposure
- Obesity vs reference BMI
- Outcome
- Duration of hospital stay
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incidence rate ratio
1.07
95% CI 1.03–1.10
By group
Reference BMI
8.82
mean · CI 8.62–9.01 · days
Obesityvs Reference BMI
IRR 1.07 (95% CI 1.03–1.10)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| ICU admissionMore likely with obesity | 2.02 (1.86–2.19) | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
| Outcome | Difference (£) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of COVID-19 hospitalisation | 2736 (2224–3248) | |
| −2000020004000Difference, £ (linear scale) |
- Intensive care unit (ICU) admission — Mean probability of ICU admission, reference group
- 5.9% (95% CI 5.5-6.3)
- Cost of COVID-19 hospitalisation — Mean cost of COVID-19 hospitalisation, reference BMI group
- £19 877 (SD 17 918)
Duration of ICU stay
- No association between BMI and duration of ICU stay
Original publication
Associations between BMI and hospital resource use in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in England: a community-based cohort study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. Published 3 June 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →