COVID-19 Outcomes in Minority Ethnic Groups: Do Obesity and Metabolic Risk Play a Role?

Paul Coleman, Thomas M. Barber, Thijs van Rens, Petra Hanson, Alice Coffey, Oyinlola Oyebode

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose of Review: Globally, minority ethnic groups have been at higher risk of COVID-19 mortality and morbidity than majority populations. This review outlines factors that may interact to create these inequalities and explores the hypothesis that differing levels of cardio-metabolic risk, according to ethnic group, play a role. Recent Findings: Two UK Biobank studies have reported that the body mass index is more strongly associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality in minority ethnic populations than in White populations. A study of UK patients found that the strongest association between obesity and adverse COVID-19 outcomes was in people of Black ethnicity. Summary: Differences in the prevalence of obesity and its metabolic sequelae have been shown to partly mediate ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes, although not always consistently. It is possible that ethnic differences in the consequences of obesity may explain some of the remaining disparity in COVID-19 risk.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)107-115
Number of pages9
JournalCurrent Obesity Reports
Volume11
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Ethnic inequalities
  • Metabolic risk
  • Obesity
  • Social determinants of health

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