Is abdominal obesity associated with the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in Korean school-aged children?

Objective Given their medical vulnerabilities, we investigated the epidemiological factors related to H1N1 infection in school-aged children. Methods This study analyzed data collected on 7448 school-aged children in South Korea between 18 November and 8 December 2009. Results We found that H1N1 infection was associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), the use of facemasks, contact history with H1N1-infected persons, and overseas travel history (P < 0.05). In addition, WC quartiles were significantly associated with H1N1 infection after adjusting for BMI and other confounding variables [OR (95% CI): 1.00, 1.10 (0.721.45), 1.13 (0.761.67), and 2.71 (1.744.24), respectively). Conclusions Abdominal obesity and the use of facemasks appear to be independently associated with H1N1 infection in school-aged children. We infer that providing education on wearing facemasks and specific planning for abdominally obese children and adolescents may be effective means of reducing the spread of the influenza pandemic in school-aged children.