When pandemics collide: The impact of COVID-19 on childhood obesity.

Obesity and COVID-19 are pandemics that negatively affect the health and well-being of children. The disease of childhood obesity has risen to pandemic levels in United States (U.S.) youth with the fastest rise seen in severe obesity (Skinner, Ravanbakht, Skelton, Perrin,& Armstrong, 2018). COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease in humans causing significant rates of illness, hospitalization, and death. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Obesity is identified as an independent risk factor for COVID-19 disease severity (Lighter et al., 2020).

Source: Journal of Pediatric Nursing - November 11, 2020 Category: Nursing Authors: Nancy T. Browne, Julia A. Snethen, Cindy Smith Greenberg, Marilyn Frenn, Jill F. Kilanowski, Bonnie Gance-Cleveland, Pamela J. Burke, Linda Lewandowski Source Type: research