Prospective cohort study conducted in the U.K. shows odds of developing COVID-19 increased with household overcrowding, higher BMI<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Risk factors independently associated with increased odds of developing COVID-19 include Asian\/Asian British versus White ethnicity, household overcrowding, and elevated body mass index, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Thorax<\/em>.<\/p>\n Hayley Holt, from Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues conducted a prospective, population-based cohort study from May 1, 2020, to Feb. 5, 2021, to examine potential risk factors for developing COVID-19. An online questionnaire was used to capture baseline information on potential risk factors.<\/p>\n The researchers found 446 incident cases of COVID-19 in 15,227 participants (2.9 percent). Increased odds of developing COVID-19 were independently associated with Asian\/Asian British versus White ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.28), household overcrowding (aOR per additional 0.5 people\/bedroom, 1.26), any versus no visits to\/from other households in the previous week (aOR, 1.31), number of visits to indoor public places (aOR per extra visit per week, 1.05), frontline versus no frontline occupation, excluding health\/social care (aOR, 1.49), and elevated body mass index (aORs, 1.50 and 1.39 for 25.0 to 30.0 kg\/m2<\/sup> and >30.0 kg\/m2<\/sup>, respectively, versus <25.0 kg\/m2<\/sup>). There was an independent association for atopic disease with reduced odds of developing COVID-19 (aOR, 0.75). There were no independent associations for age, sex, other medical conditions, diet, or micronutrient supplement use.<\/p>\n “This study sheds new light on the degree of overlap between risk factors for developing COVID-19 (irrespective of severity) versus risk factors for developing severe or fatal disease specifically,” the authors write.<\/p>\n