The effect of air pollution on morbidity and mortality among children aged under five in sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background Air pollution from indoor and outdoor sources constitutes a substantial health risk to young children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although some systematic reviews have assessed air pollution and children’s respiratory health in SSA, none have considered both ambient and indoor exposures. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effect of air pollution (ambient and indoor) on respiratory hospitalization and mortality among children under five years in SSA. We retrieved relevant articles from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, African Journals Online (AJOL), Web of Science, and medRxiv. The protocol was registered with Prospero (CRD42023470010). We used guidelines from the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA-2020) to guide the systematic review process. Risk of bias was assessed using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) quality appraisal tool. For exposures where there were sufficient studies/data we conducted meta-analyses using random effects models and used Stata version 17 software for analysis. Results For the systematic review we screened 5619 titles and abstracts, reviewed 315 full texts, and included 31 articles involving 2,178,487 participants. Eleven studies examined exposure to solid fuel use in households and its association with all-cause mortality, while four studies explored the impact of passive smoking on mortality among children under five. Only two studies assessed ambient air…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 2,178,487 participants or records.
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