Pediatric Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Trends, Mortality, and Socioeconomic Disparities in the U.S., 1998–2020
Paul Wasuwanich,
Joshua M. So,
Mustafa Sadek,
Chaowapong Jarasvaraparn,
Songyos Rajborirug,
Ruben E. Quiros-Tejeira,
Wikrom Karnsakul
Affiliations
Paul Wasuwanich
Department of Internal Medicine, Naples Comprehensive Health, Naples, FL 34102, USA
Joshua M. So
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Mustafa Sadek
Department of Internal Medicine, Naples Comprehensive Health, Naples, FL 34102, USA
Chaowapong Jarasvaraparn
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Songyos Rajborirug
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway 10th Floor Suite 1003, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Ruben E. Quiros-Tejeira
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Wikrom Karnsakul
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway 10th Floor Suite 1003, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Background/Objectives: We aim to describe the changing inpatient epidemiology of NAFLD in the U.S. and identify major risk factors associated with mortality in the disease among hospitalized pediatric patients. Methods: Hospitalization data from the 1998–2020 National Inpatient Sample were utilized. ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes were used to identify pediatric patients (age less than 18 years old) with NAFLD, and risk factors for mortality were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: We identified 68,869 pediatric hospitalizations involving NAFLD. Among those, 970 (1.4%) died during hospitalization. Hospitalization rates have been rapidly increasing from 1998 to 2020 (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.07; 95% CI: 1.06–1.07; p p p < 0.05). Sex, race/ethnicity, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, and IV drug use were not significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions: Our study has shown ever increasing hospitalization rates for NAFLD in pediatric populations and well as significant risk factors associated with mortality. Further studies should be performed as more data on this patient population are collected.
