Brief Report Obesity Reduces the Risk of Pressure Ulcers in Elderly Hospitalized Patients

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. PRESSURE ulcers (PU) are common in elderly persons,with prevalence in the United States of 1.3 to 3 million adults (1). Malnutrition, typically defined as low albumin concentration (2–8) and/or weight loss (9,10), has been as-sociated with PU in epidemiologic studies, although studies examining body weight as a risk factor are rare (2). Nursing practice reviews (11–13) and case studies (14,15) also sug