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Obesity Reduces the Risk of Pressure Ulcers in Elderly Hospitalized Patients

¹ Penn Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
>Departments of ² Medicine and ³ Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
⁴ Departments of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park.

Address correspondence to Charlene Compher, PhD, Associate Professor of Nutrition Science, Penn Nursing, 420 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6096. E-mail: compherc{at}nursing.upenn.edu

Abstract

Background. Both underweight and obesity have been suggested as risk factors for pressure ulcers (PU) development, although data are limited. Our aim was to evaluate the odds of PU in underweight and obese, relative to optimal weight patients.

Methods. Secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study of risk factors for PU on admission or by hospital day 3 in 3214 elderly patients admitted during 1998–2001 to two hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Results. Patients who were underweight had greater odds of developing PU (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–2.6). Patients who were obese had reduced odds (adjusted OR = 0.7, 95% CI, 0.4–1.0), and those with severe obesity had the lowest odds of PU (adjusted OR = 0.1, 95% CI, 0.01–0.6).

Conclusions. These data suggest that extra body fat reduces the risk of PU in elderly hospitalized patients.