Estimate the burden of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Ermias Sisay Chanie; Natnael Moges; Fikadie Dagnew Baye; Gebrehiwot Berie Mekonnen; Mengistu Melak Fekadie; Lakachew Yismaw Bazezew; Denekew Tenaw Anley; Melkamu Aderajew Zemene; Natnael Atnafu Gebeyehu; Getachew Asmare Adella; Gizachew Ambaw Kassie; Misganaw Asmamaw Mengstie; Mohammed Abdu Seid; Endeshaw Chekol Abebe; Molalegn Mesele Gesese; Kirubel Dagnaw Tegegne; Yenealem Solomon Kebede; Berihun Bantie; Sefineh Fenta Feleke; Tadesse Asmamaw Dejenie; Wubet Alebachew Bayih; Amare Kassaw; Anteneh Mengist Dessie; Melkalem Mamuye Azanaw; Sewunt Sisay Chanie

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-55730-1

Estimate the burden of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 18;14(1):6494. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55730-1.

Authors

Ermias Sisay Chanie¹, Natnael Moges², Fikadie Dagnew Baye³, Gebrehiwot Berie Mekonnen³, Mengistu Melak Fekadie³, Lakachew Yismaw Bazezew², Denekew Tenaw Anley⁴, Melkamu Aderajew Zemene⁴, Natnael Atnafu Gebeyehu⁵, Getachew Asmare Adella⁶, Gizachew Ambaw Kassie⁷, Misganaw Asmamaw Mengstie⁸, Mohammed Abdu Seid⁹, Endeshaw Chekol Abebe¹⁰, Molalegn Mesele Gesese⁵, Kirubel Dagnaw Tegegne¹¹, Yenealem Solomon Kebede¹², Berihun Bantie¹³, Sefineh Fenta Feleke¹⁴, Tadesse Asmamaw Dejenie¹⁵, Wubet Alebachew Bayih¹⁶, Amare Kassaw³, Anteneh Mengist Dessie⁴, Melkalem Mamuye Azanaw⁴, Sewunt Sisay Chanie¹⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of pediatric and child health Nursing, College of Health sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia. ermisis1888@gmail.com.
² Department of neonatal health Nursing, College of Health sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
³ Department of pediatric and child health Nursing, College of Health sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of public health, College of Health sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
⁵ Department of midwifery, College of medicine and Health science, Wolaita sodo university, Wolaita, Ethiopia.
⁶ Department of Reproductive Health and Nutrition, School of Public Health, Woliata Sodo University, Woliata, Ethiopia.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Woliata Sodo University, Woliata, Ethiopia.
⁸ Department of Biochemistry, College of medicine and health sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
⁹ Unit of physiology, Department of Biomedical science, college of health science, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
¹¹ Department of comprehensive Nursing, College of Health sciences, Wollo university, Wollo, Ethiopia.
¹² Department of medical laboratory science, College of health sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
¹³ Department of comprehensive Nursing, College of Health sciences, Debre Tabor university, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
¹⁴ Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Woldia University, Woldia, Ethiopia.
¹⁵ Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
¹⁶ Department of Epidemiology and preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and Department of Maternal and neonatal health Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
¹⁷ Department of comprehensive Nursing, College of Health sciences, Debre Berhan university, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Malnutrition is more prevalent among children with cerebral palsy and a major factor for child morbidity and mortality in children with different co-morbidity, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa: The main aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the burden of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in Sub-Saharan Africa. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Research Gate, and institutional repositories for papers that reported the proportion of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy that were published between December 2010 and September 2023. Data were retrieved using the standardized JBI data extraction checklist through Microsoft Excel, and then exported to STATA 17 for further analysis. DerSimonian and Laird's estimator was used to calculate the pooled effect size in the random-effects model. Statistics such as the Cochran Q test and I2 test were employed to measure heterogeneity. Egger's test and the funnel plot were used to look for publication bias. This systematic review and meta-analysis used 16 studies from Sub-Saharan Africa to estimate the proportion of malnutrition among 2,120 children with cerebral palsy. The pooled proportion of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in Sub-Saharan Africa by using random-effects model analysis was found to be 59.7% (95% CI; 49.8-69.6). The proportion of malnutrition was also estimated by sample sizes categorized as ≤ 120 and > 120, and the proportion of malnutrition was found to be 54.0 (95% CI: 44.7-63.3) and 64.5 (95% CI: 50.5-78.5). Moreover, the proportion of malnutrition was estimated by accounting for the difference in the year of publication. In this regard, the study classified before ≤ 2017 and > 2017, and the proportion of malnutrition was found to be 53.7 (95% CI: 38.0-69.3) and 62.5 (95% CI: 49.7-75.3) in Sub-Saharan Africa respectively. Malnutrition among children with cerebral in Sub-Saharan Africa was found to be very high. Hence, enhancing and developing strategic guidelines for malnutrition screening, prevention, and nutritional support are crucial among children with cerebral palsy. Furthermore, systematic review, randomized control trials, and qualitative studies are recommended to understand the burden more among children with cerebral palsy in the continent.

Keywords: Children with cerebral palsy; Malnutrition; Sub-Saharan Africa.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Africa South of the Sahara / epidemiology
Cerebral Palsy* / complications
Cerebral Palsy* / epidemiology
Child
Comorbidity
Humans
Malnutrition* / epidemiology
Prevalence