OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evidence for the influence of obesity as a risk
factor for the occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. METHODS: A
bibliographical search of Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane library until
April 2000 was carried out. Articles describing studies of the
relationship between obesity and the occurrence of hip OA were selected.
The quality of the studies was assessed with a standardized set of
criteria. The outcome of the studies was compared with respect to study
characteristics and the quality score for the study. A best-evidence
synthesis was used to summarize the results of the individual studies.
RESULTS: Five longitudinal and seven cross-sectional studies were included
in this review. There was no association between outcome and study design
or methodological quality. The associations between obesity and hip OA
were, however, stronger in studies in which the diagnosis of hip OA was
based not only on radiological criteria but also on clinical symptoms.
Overall, moderate evidence was found for a positive association between
obesity and the occurrence of hip OA, with an odds ratio of approximately
2. CONCLUSION: The evidence for a positive influence of obesity on the
development of hip OA is moderate