title: Obesity and disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with physical disabilities may have an increased risk for obesity and obesity might be a risk factor for inflammatory arthritis. The aims of this study were: to determine the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and to examine the association between obesity and disease activity in this population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cross-sectional analysis of all patients with JIA attending a pediatric rheumatology clinic, between October 2009 and September 2010, was performed. A linear regression model was used to explore the association between obesity and disease activity in patients with JIA. A total of 154 subjects were included in the analysis; median age was 10.6 years, 61% were female, and 88% were white. Obesity was found in 18%, 12% were overweight, and 3% were underweight. There was no association between obesity and JADAS-27 (Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 27), physician's assessment of disease activity, parent's assessment of child's well-being, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, number of active joints, or C-reactive protein (p-value range 0.10 to 0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although 18% of patients with JIA were obese, we did not find an association between obesity and disease activity. As obesity confers an additional health risk in children with arthritis, addressing this co-morbidity should be a health priority in patients with JIA. Future studies are necessary to further explore potential associations between obesity, development of JIA, and disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St, Box #190 Boston, MA 02111. christinapelajo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Christina F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Pelajo
authors.forename: Jorge M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lopez-Benitez
authors.forename: Laurie C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Miller