Multicentre Study to Record the Mental and Physical Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic (COBESITY-Study)

The COVID-19 pandemic, first reported in November 2019, has led to a global health systems emergency. The number of confirmed COVID-19-associated deaths, according to WHO, is higher in countries with high obesity prevalence. However, whether obesity is an independent risk factor of the severity of COVID-19 remains unclear. Obesity represents one of the major health problems worldwide and the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to further increase obesity prevalence rates. Initial research indicates that the pandemic has also led to an increased incidence and/or worsening of depression and eating disorders. Additional weight gain due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be suspected to increase the prevalence of psychological comorbidities in patients before weight-reducing surgery compared to patients who have already undergone weight-reducing surgery. Therefore, the main aim of this international study is to gain a better understanding of the mental and physical effects of the coronavirus pandemic on obese patients before and after a weight-reducing surgery and use this to develop approaches for solutions. This study also aims to investigate the country-specific differences (Germany vs England) as well as the differences in the mental effects experienced by overweight patients who have or have not been infected with COVID-19. To achieve these aims, obese patients aged 18 years and older, before and after weight-reducing surgery, will be recruited from the bariatric surgery clinic at King's College Hospital, NHS Trust Foundation as well as from the Medical University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire about their health, socio-economic status, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their physical and mental health. The questionnaire will take 15 minutes to complete and can be done at home or during the patient's appointment at the bariatric surgery clinic to minimise unnecessary travel.