Peer-reviewed article
Determinants of malnutrition among children under 5 years in refugee and internally displaced person populations: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.
Tin Zar Win, Myo Thura Kyaw, Chris Smith, Yasuhiko Kamiya, Hirotsugu Aiga ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis that will examine what causes malnutrition in children under 5 years old living in refugee and internally displaced person camps or settlements. The researchers will search published studies and grey literature to identify the prevalence of malnutrition and the risk factors associated with it in these vulnerable populations. The findings will be synthesised using meta-analysis to inform better interventions and programmes for these children.
Key points
- Malnutrition among refugee and IDP children significantly increases mortality risk and impairs physical growth and cognitive development
- The review will include cross-sectional, cohort and case-control studies published in English
- Two independent reviewers will screen and extract data; quality will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool
- Meta-analysis will estimate pooled prevalence of malnutrition and pooled odds ratios for associated factors using random-effects models
- Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed using χ² test and I² value
Limitations
This document is a protocol for a future systematic review, not the completed review itself, so it cannot provide findings about the determinants of malnutrition or their effects. The review will be limited to studies published in English, which may exclude relevant evidence from other language sources.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition is a critical global health issue, particularly among the vulnerable children whose socioeconomic, sociocultural and environmental characteristics are unique. Malnutrition significantly increases the risk of mortality and non-communicable diseases, impairs physical growth, hinders cognitive development and limits children's potential. While a number of earlier studies explored the determinants of malnutrition among children under 5 years of age in refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) populations, comprehensive reviews are scarce. A systematic synthesis of existing data is essential to better understand its prevalence and associated risk factors, informing more effective interventions. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We will conduct a comprehensive search in PubMed, Scopus and ProQuest. Additionally, relevant grey literature will be explored using Google Scholar and Google Advanced Search. We will include cross-sectional, cohort and case-control studies published in English that report the prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among children under 5 years of age in refugee and/or IDP populations. Two reviewers will screen and extract data independently. The quality of the included studies will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Meta-analysis will estimate pooled prevalence of malnutrition, as well as the pooled OR for associated factors, using a random-effects model with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the χ² test and I² value. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required. The results will be published in a peer-review journal and presented at conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024611728.