The association between Helicobacter pylori infection with overweight/obesity: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

BACKGROUND: Obesity has become a serious public health issue. The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in overweight or obesity is inconsistent and controversial. It is very necessary to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis for determining whether H. pylori infection was associated with risk of overweight/obesity. METHODS: Four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and EMBASE) will be searched from the inception to January 15, 2019. All observational studies (including cross-sectional, case-control or longitudinal studies) reporting the association between H. pylori infection and overweight/obesity will be included. The primary outcome was the presence and incidence of overweight/obesity in conjunction with H. pylori infection. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of quality will be conducted independently by 2 reviewers. RevMan 5.3 and STATA 14.0 software will be used for data synthesis. RESULTS: The results of this study will provide a better understanding of the role of H. pylori infection in overweight/obesity among overall population. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis will generate evidence of the association between H. pylori infection and overweight/obesity, and the findings of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019121939