Impact of obesity on lumbar spinal surgery outcomes

Controversy exists regarding the effect of obesity on surgical outcomes and complications following lumbar spinal surgery. A systematic electronic literature review of all relevant studies through to June 2015 was performed using the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases. Pooled risk ratios (RR) or standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random or fixed effects models. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality, and Stata 11.0 was used to analyse data (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). Significant differences between obese and non-obese patients were found for operation time (SMD, −0.273; 95%CI, −0.424 to −0.121), blood loss (SMD, −0.265; 95%CI, −0.424 to −0.107), surgical site infections (RR, 0.610; 95%CI, 0.446 to 0.834), and nerve injury (RR, 0.188; 95%CI, 0.042 to 0.841). Deep vein thrombosis, dural tear, revision surgery, and mortality were not significantly differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). Obesity appears to be associated with longer operative times, greater blood loss, and higher risk of surgical site infections and nerve injuries. However, the results of this meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity amongst the included studies.     

Men living with obesity in New Zealand: What does this mean for health care in general practice?

IntroductionMore men than women live with overweight and obesity in New Zealand, yet we know little about their everyday lives or their weight management experiences in primary care. This study sought to link the weight management experiences of these men in primary care, with their experiences of life in general as big men.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with participants selected purposively based on a priori criteria were conducted. Interviews were either face to face or via telephone. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed and text coded into a priori codes where established.ResultsFourteen men were interviewed. Analysis of text data revealed three overarching themes. The first, social experience of life as a big man highlighted the significance of social transitions as times of weight gain. The second theme related to experiences of weight management in primary care, with communication the largest sub-theme. Finally, stigma materialised as a key and widespread issue.ConclusionScant attention has been paid to the experiences of overweight and obese men in primary care or the impact of their size on their daily lives. Effective, tailored communication by health professionals in primary care is sorely needed. Times of social transition can be exploited as appropriate instances to offer advice on effective strategies to reduce the risk of weight gain. Men also need to be made aware of their vulnerability for weight gain at these times through effective, gender specific health promotion messages. The widespread nature of stigmatising experiences within personal networks was a concerning finding.     

Prevalence and factors affecting underweight,overweight and obesity using Asian and World Health Organization cutoffs among adults in Nepal: Analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey 2016

ObjectiveThere is a little published data on prevalence and determinants of underweight, overweight and obesity among adults in Nepal. This study analysed the cross-sectional Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2016 to obtain these using the World Health Organization (WHO) and Asian-specific cutoffs of body mass index (BMI).MethodsThe 2016 NDHS used a multistage cluster-sampling design to obtain data on major health indicators in Nepal. The BMI cutoffs for underweight was <18.5 kg/m². The BMI cutoffs for overweight/obesity as per the Asian and WHO classifications were ≥23, and ≥25 kg/m², respectively. After reporting the prevalence according to sex and background characteristics, multilevel logistic regression was conducted to estimate odds ratios.SubjectsThis analysis included 12,652 adults (5283 males and 7369 females) with a median age of 40 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 28–54).ResultsThe overall median BMI was 21.5 kg/m² (IQR:19.3–24.3). The overall prevalence of underweight was 16.7% (15.1% among males and 17.1% among females). The Asian-specific BMI cutoffs found the prevalence of overweight and obesity as 26.4% (27.4% among males and 25.6% among females) and 11.0% (7.7% among males and 13.3% among females), respectively. The WHO-recommended BMI cutoffs found 18.2% people overweight (16.7% among males and 19.3% among females) and 4.3% (2.5% among males and 5.6% among females) people obese. The prevalence and odds of extreme body weight categories (i.e., underweight, overweight and obesity) varied according to age, sex, education level, household wealth status, place, ecological zone and provinces of residence as per both recommended cutoffs. Overall, higher education level and wealth status were positively associated with overweight/obesity and inversely associated with underweight as per both cutoffs.ConclusionA large proportion Nepalese adults have either underweight, overweight or obesity, and could be at a greater risk of mortality and morbidity due to these extreme body weight categories. It is essential to address the factors or characteristics that are associated with the higher prevalence and likelihood of these extreme body weight categories to reduce the overall burden of underweight and overweight/obesity in Nepal.     

Postpartum weight retention in relation to gestational weight gain and pre-pregnancy body mass index: A prospective cohort study in Vietnam

BackgroundThe prevalence of maternal overweight and obesity is increasing in Asia. This study prospectively investigated the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG) and 12-month postpartum weight retention (PPWR) in a large cohort of Vietnamese mothers.MethodsOf the 2030 pregnant women recruited from three cities in Vietnam at 24–28 weeks of gestation, a total of 1666 mothers were followed up for 12 months after delivery and available for analysis. The outcome variable PPWR was determined by subtracting the pre-pregnancy weight from the 12-month postpartum measured weight, while GWG and pre-pregnancy BMI were classified according to the Institute of Medicine and WHO criteria for adults, respectively. Linear regression models were used to ascertain the association between pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG and PPWR accounting for the effects of plausible confounding factors.ResultsBoth pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG were significantly associated with PPWR (P < 0.001). The adjusted mean weight retention in underweight women before pregnancy (3.71 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.37–4.05) was significantly higher than that in those with normal pre-pregnancy weight (2.34 kg, 95% CI 2.13–2.54). Women with excessive GWG retained significantly more weight (5.07 kg, 95% CI 4.63–5.50) on average at 12 months, when compared to mothers with adequate GWG (2.92 kg, 95% CI 2.67–3.17).ConclusionsBeing underweight before pregnancy and excessive GWG contribute to greater weight retention twelve months after giving birth. Interventions to prevent postpartum maternal obesity should target at risk women at the first antenatal visit and control their weight gain during the course of pregnancy.