Purpose Obesity has been recently identified as a predisposing factor for worse prognosis in viral illnesses such as SARS-CoV-2, however, its role in children with influenza is not yet clarified. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess whether obesity is a risk factor for either hospitalization or worse prognosis when hospitalized among children infected by influenza. Methods We systematically searched the following databases: MEDLINE, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) using a structured algorithm. Statistical meta-analysis was performed using the ‘meta’ package in R software and included studies were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. ResultsAmong children with influenza, obesity increased the odds of hospitalization with a pooled OR of 1.89 (95% CI [1.23, 2.9], I2=0, p=0.003). When hospitalized, children with obesity were also more likely to have a worse outcome than their healthy-weight counterparts, with a pooled OR of 1.24 (95% Cl [1.02;1.51], I2=11, p=0.03). In an effort to lower heterogeneity Leave-one-out meta-analysis was conducted. Publication bias was assessed with the visual inspection of funnel plots and the trim-and-fill method. Certainty assessment was evaluated using the GRADE score. ConclusionsThe findings of our meta-analysis suggest that obesity in children with influenza is associated with a worse prognosis; both hospitalization and ICU admission/death. //