Work

Longitudinal Analysis of Body Weight Trends in Hispanic Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2019-2023): Insights from the N3C Data

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in March 2020, disrupted dietary habits, lifestyles, and mental health, potentially exacerbating weight-related health disparities.Existing evidence lacks a comprehensive nationwide longitudinal analysis of pandemic-related weight changes among Hispanic adults, particularly across demographic subgroups and comorbidities.OBJECTIVE: To examine national longitudinal changes in body weight among U.S. Hispanic adults during COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2023).METHODS: We utilized electronic health records from National Clinical Cohort Consortium (N3C) database (January 2019 to December 2023), covering Hispanic adults aged≥21 years in 2019 with complete data records over these five years.Statistical approaches included paired/independent t-tests, ANOVA, repeated-measures ANOVA, McNemar-Bowker tests, and linear mixed models. RESULTS:The study included 11,452 Hispanics aged 21-83 years; 65.1% were female; 83.5% were overweight/obese at baseline.Mean weight exhibited a peak-then-decline pattern, increasing from 80.6 kg (pre-pandemic) to 81.1 kg (2021), then decreasing to 80.8 kg (2023).This trajectory persisted across demographic and clinical subgroups.Younger adults (<40 years) and under-or healthy-weight individuals continued gain weight, while older adults (>59 years) and those with obese II/III continued to lose weight.Differences in weight gain during 2019-2021 were seen in sex, race, smoking status, dietary environment, and COVID-19 infection.Chronic conditions showed divergent associations, with diabetes, stroke, cancer, kidney disease and dementia experienced weight loss.CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic adults exhibited shifts in weight patterns during COVID-19 pandemic, with significant disparities observed across population subgroups.These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions that address the prolonged metabolic impacts of the pandemic in this population.

Source: Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

DOI: 10.1017/cts.2026.10709

Authors: Kai Guo, Pedro J. Castro, Evangelia Morou-Bermudez, Sona Rivas-Tumanyan, Lourdes E. Soto de Laurido, Mary H. Mays

Institution: University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus

Language: English

Topic: Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,200