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The Relationship between Obesity and Lung Function in Adults: A Systematic Review

Document Type : Systematic Reviews

Authors

1 Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

2 Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

3 Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

4 Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

5 Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

10.30476/jrsr.2025.100332.1433

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate studies assessing the association between obesity and lung function in adult individuals.
Methods: This systematic review conducted a comprehensive search of databases, including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, up to 30 June 2021. Keywords used were: “obesity,” “overweight,” “breathing function,” “respiratory function,” “breathing physiology,” and “breathing disorders.” Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers.
Results: Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria: eight cohort studies, four case-control studies, and four cross-sectional studies.
Conclusion: Based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) quality assessment tools, all included studies were rated as high quality, except for one cohort study (approximately 6% of the total), which was rated as moderate quality. According to the results of these 16 studies, there is a strong inverse correlation between obesity severity and certain lung volumes and capacities in adults.

Keywords

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Journal of Rehabilitation Sciences & Research
Volume 13, Issue 2
June 2026
Pages 88-97
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