Association Between Body Mass Index and Urinary Tract Infection in Adult Patients

BACKGROUND Overweight and obesity have become a global public health over the last decades. Obesity has been suggested to be a risk factor for some infections, but studies often showed controversial findings. Few studies examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and urinary tract infection (UTI), showing inconsistent results. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between BMI and UTI in adult patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Adult patients (≥ 18 years old) who were referred to clinics or admitted in hospital with diagnosis of UTI were considered for participation in the study. Control group were selected from healthy adult normal population whom underwent medical check-ups at the same hospital and without history of UTI. Data about age, gender, history of diabetes mellitus and BMI were registered for individuals who met inclusion criteria. RESULTS A total of 116 patients with UTI and 156 people as the control group were included in the study. Two groups were matched for age, gender and history of diabetes mellitus. Mean BMI ± SD of patients was 25.2 ± 4.0 kg/m(2) and the controls was 25.1 ± 3.6 kg/m(2). There was no significant correlation between BMI and UTI (P = 0.757). Mean BMI ± SD of patients with upper UTI was 25.6 ± 4.1 kg/m(2) and for lower UTI was 24.9 ± 4.0 kg/m(2). There was no significant difference between BMI of controls and patients with any type of UTI (P = 0.573). CONCLUSIONS Our findings did not found an association between BMI and UTI and does not support obesity as a risk factor for UTI in adult patients.