Effects of armed conflicts on childhood undernutrition in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background Undernutrition is defined as not consuming enough nutrients and energy to meet one’s needs for maintaining good health. It is exacerbated by armed conflict. Individuals cannot stick to jobs because of a lack of safety during conflicts, which has an impact on families’ ability to purchase food. However, there is a paucity of evidence on pooled evidence on the impact of armed conflict on childhood undernutrition among children aged 6 to 59 months in Africa. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the effects of armed conflict on the magnitude of undernutrition, particularly stunting, underweight, and wasting among children in Africa. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using electronic databases (PubMed, Hinari, and Google Scholar database) to locate potential studies. Heterogeneity between studies was checked using Cochrane Q test statistics and I ^2 test statistics. Small-study effects were checked using Egger’s statistical test at a 5% significance level. A random-effects model was employed to estimate the pooled prevalence and associated factors of undernutrition among children aged 6–59 months in Africa. Results Of a total of 585 articles retrieved from the databases, 12 studies met our inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of wasting, stunting, and being underweight among conflict-affected African countries was 20.25% (95%CI = 15.08–25.43), 34.18% (95% CI = 26.34–42.02), and 24.00% (95%CI = 16.35–31.65), respectively. The most…
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