Associations and Multidimensional Characterization of the Nutritional-Inflammatory Profile in Children with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background/Objectives: Nutritional, inflammatory, and lifestyle-related characteristics may contribute to substantial biological heterogeneity among children with documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to characterize an integrated nutritional-inflammatory profile and explore its relationships with biological and clinical features in a hospitalized pediatric cohort. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 260 children with documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory data were complemented by questionnaire-derived dietary and lifestyle information (n = 213). Analyses combined conventional statistics with correlation and multivariate techniques, including PCA and K-means clustering (n = 231) and exploratory Ridge regression (n = 188). Results: Suboptimal serum 25(OH)D concentrations (<30 ng/mL) were present in 55.8% of participants (95% CI [49.7%, 61.7%]), while 43.5% were overweight or obese (95% CI [37.6%, 49.5%]). BMI correlated with hemoglobin (ρ = 0.23) and CRP (ρ = 0.12), while 25(OH)D correlated with potassium (ρ = 0.22). Increasing daily device use was associated with progressively lower 25(OH)D concentrations (H = 24, p < 0.001, ε2 = 0.11), with median values decreasing from 33 ng/mL at <1 h/day to 24 ng/mL at >4 h/day. PCA identified three complementary biological dimensions explaining 55.0% of the total variance, while K-means clustering identified three reproducible exploratory nutritional–inflammatory phenotypes differentiated by age, BMI, hematological and inflammatory characteristics, and selected lifestyle factors. Conclusions: The findings show multidimensional nutritional–inflammatory heterogeneity in children with documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The identified patterns and exploratory phenotypes provide an integrated framework for biological characterization and warrant validation in prospective multicenter cohorts.

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Journal
Nutrients
Published
2026-08-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18172793
Primary Topic
COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
Type
article
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article

Associations and Multidimensional Characterization of the Nutritional-Inflammatory Profile in Children with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Mariana Mirela Vâlcan, Diana-Andreea Ciortea, Gabriela Gurău, Carmen Loredana Petrea et al.
Nutrients
COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
article

Associations and Multidimensional Characterization of the Nutritional-Inflammatory Profile in Children with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Mariana Mirela Vâlcan, Diana-Andreea Ciortea, Gabriela Gurău, Carmen Loredana Petrea, Gabriela Isabela Verga, Codrina Barbu (Ivașcu), Sorin Ion Berbece, Mădălina Nicoleta Matei, Irinel Lungu
article en

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Nutritional, inflammatory, and lifestyle-related characteristics may contribute to substantial biological heterogeneity among children with documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to characterize an integrated nutritional-inflammatory profile and explore its relationships with biological and clinical features in a hospitalized pediatric cohort. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 260 children with documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory data were complemented by questionnaire-derived dietary and lifestyle information (n = 213). Analyses combined conventional statistics with correlation and multivariate techniques, including PCA and K-means clustering (n = 231) and exploratory Ridge regression (n = 188). Results: Suboptimal serum 25(OH)D concentrations (<30 ng/mL) were present in 55.8% of participants (95% CI [49.7%, 61.7%]), while 43.5% were overweight or obese (95% CI [37.6%, 49.5%]). BMI correlated with hemoglobin (ρ = 0.23) and CRP (ρ = 0.12), while 25(OH)D correlated with potassium (ρ = 0.22). Increasing daily device use was associated with progressively lower 25(OH)D concentrations (H = 24, p < 0.001, ε2 = 0.11), with median values decreasing from 33 ng/mL at <1 h/day to 24 ng/mL at >4 h/day. PCA identified three complementary biological dimensions explaining 55.0% of the total variance, while K-means clustering identified three reproducible exploratory nutritional–inflammatory phenotypes differentiated by age, BMI, hematological and inflammatory characteristics, and selected lifestyle factors. Conclusions: The findings show multidimensional nutritional–inflammatory heterogeneity in children with documented previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The identified patterns and exploratory phenotypes provide an integrated framework for biological characterization and warrant validation in prospective multicenter cohorts.

NutrientsVol. 18(17)
University of Oradea (RO), "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati (RO), Spitalului Clinic de Urgență pentru Copii Maria Sklodowska Curie (RO), Spitalul Clinic de Urgenta Sfantul Ioan (RO)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
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