Worldwide association of lifestyle related factors and COVID-19 mortality

Wang, J.; Sato, T.; Sakuraba, A. N.

Background: Several lifestyle related factors such as obesity and diabetes have been identified as risk factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality. The objective of this study was to examine the global association between lifestyle related factors and COVID-19 mortality using data from each individual country. Methods: The association between prevalence of seven lifestyle related factors (overweight, insufficient physical activity, smoking, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and age over 65) and COVID-19 mortality was assessed by linear and multivariable regression among 186 countries. The cumulative effect of lifestyle related factors on COVID-19 mortality was assessed by dividing countries into four categories according to the number of lifestyle related factors in the upper half range and comparing the mean mortality between groups. Results: In linear regression, COVID-19 mortality was significantly associated with overweight, insufficient physical activity, hyperlipidemia, and age [≥]65. In multivariable regression, overweight and age [≥]65 demonstrated significant association with COVID-19 mortality (P = 0.0039, 0.0094). Countries with more risk factors demonstrated greater COVID-19 mortality (P for trend <0.001). Conclusion: Lifestyle related factors, especially overweight and elderly population, were associated with increased COVID-19 mortality on a global scale. Global effort to reduce burden of lifestyle related factors along with protection and vaccination of these susceptible groups may help reduce COVID-19 mortality.