Association between birth interval and wasting in children under 5 years of age in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

According to the UNICEF, WHO and World Bank joint estimation, 1 in every 13 children suffered from wasting globally. The highest burden of undernutrition recorded in Asia and Africa. Wasting remains a considerable public health problem in Ethiopia despite the introduction of exhaustive nutritional programmes. As reported in the literature, the prevalence of wasting in Ethiopia has remained high over the last four decades. In Ethiopia, more than one-third of child deaths are associated with malnutrition. The current nutritional interventions implemented in Ethiopia need to be evidence based. For this purpose, systematic review is preferable as it can present a more reliable and precise estimate than individual studies. The aim of this review is to assess the pooled prevalence of wasting and its association with birth interval in Ethiopia. Studies published after 20 January 2012 will be retrieved from databases, mainly PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL and HINARI. The articles retrieved from databases will be selected after reading the title, abstract and full text. Three reviewers will independently assess the quality of each study using both the Joanna Briggs Institute and Ottawa Scale critical appraisal checklists. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist will be used to maintain scientific strength. Funnel plots, Egger's test and Begg's test will be used to deal with publication bias, and I2, forest plots and Cochrane's Q square statistics will be used for heterogeneity. Potential causes of heterogeneity will be explored through sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Because heterogeneity among studies is inevitable, given the wide geographical area and variety of study designs, the Der-Simonian and Laird random-effects model will be used. The presence of a statistical association between birth interval and wasting will be declared if the p value is <0.05 with the 95% CI. Ethical issues will not be applicable to this review and meta-analysis. This review and meta-analysis will report the pooled prevalence of wasting and its association with birth interval in Ethiopia. Effort will be made to publish the findings in a peer-reviewed journal such as the Ethiopian Journal of Health and Development, and the findings will be presented at national conferences. A hard copy will also be sent to Woldia University and Debre Berhan University.

Kassaw MW ，Abebe AM ，Abate BB ，Kassie AM ，Açık M ... -  《BMJ Open》

Undernutrition and its determinants among Ethiopian adolescent girls: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

In Ethiopia, undernutrition is the common public health concern, swaying the lives of lots of adolescent girls. Its sequelae are not only limited to them, but rather their upcoming offspring are vulnerable too. Even though some studies have been carried out in different parts of the country, the national pooled prevalence and determinants of undernutrition are not known. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the pooled prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among adolescent girls in Ethiopia. Published articles will be retrieved from databases such as Medline and PubMed. Electronic search engines such as Google Scholar and Google will be used. To identify eligible studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklists prepared for different study designs will be used. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist will be used to maintain the scientific robustness of the study. The presence of heterogeneity among studies will be examined by forest plot as well as I2 heterogeneity test. Potential causes of heterogeneity will be explored by carrying out sensitivity and subgroup analyses. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model will be used provided that heterogeneity is observed. Publication bias will be examined by observing funnel plots, and objectively by Egger's regression test. If the funnel plot is asymmetric and/or Egger's test was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05), the trim and fill (Duval and Tweedie's) analysis will be performed. The presence of a statistical association between independent and dependent variables will be declared if the p value is <0.05 with the 95% CI. Since this is a systematic review and meta-analysis, ethical clearance will not be a concern. The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed reputable journal and presented at different scientific research conferences. CRD42018106180.

Takele WW ，Muche AA ，Mekonnen ZA ，Ambaw YF ，Wagnew F ... -  《BMJ Open》

Prevalence and associated factors of khat chewing among students in Ethiopia: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

These days, in Ethiopia, khat chewing is one of the widely spreading public health problems affecting the most productive segment of the population. The health implications of khat chewing among students are strongly linked with poor mental, physical and social performances. However, the national magnitude of khat chewing and the associated factors among Ethiopian students are unknown. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis will answer the national prevalence of khat chewing and the associated factors among students in Ethiopia. Published primary relevant articles will be accessed using various databases, such as Medline, PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus. Other electronic search engines, for instance, Google Scholar and Google, will be used. Furthermore, additional studies will be collected by communicating with the author(s) and following the references of relevant articles. To select eligible studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklist will be used. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist will be followed to keep the scientific rigour of the study. Heterogeneity between studies will be examined through forest plot and I2 heterogeneity tests. To identify influential studies, sensitivity analysis will be done. For substantial heterogeneity (I2>50%), the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model will be employed. Subgroup analyses will be conducted using the random-effect model. Moreover, small studies' publication bias will be checked by funnel plots and objectively by Egger's regression test. If in case Egger's test was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05), trim and fill (Duval and Tweedie) analysis will be performed. The presence of association will be declared using p≤0.05 and OR with corresponding 95% CI. Since the intention of the study is to describe earlier primary studies qualitatively and pool the results of those articles, ethical clearance will not be a concern. The results of the study will be published in a reputable peer-reviewed journal and presented at different scientific research conferences. It will also be disseminated to academic as well as other concerned institutions. CRD-42,017,081,886.

Alemu WG ，Amare Zeleke T ，Takele WW 《BMJ Open》

Risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide deaths in persons with sleep apnea: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yang Y ，Ssentongo AE ，Pan Y ，Ciarletta M ，Chinchilli VM ，Ssentongo P ... -  《PLoS One》

Determinants of birth asphyxia among preterm newborns in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies protocol.

Birth asphyxia accounted for nearly 50% of neonatal mortality in Sub-Saharan African countries. This scenario has been worst in Ethiopia where every two out of three deaths attributed to birth asphyxia. Moreover, studies conducted in Ethiopia were highly variable and inconclusive to estimate the pooled prevalence and determinants of perinatal birth asphyxia among preterm babies. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of birth asphyxia and its determinants among preterm newborns in Ethiopia. The protocol for this review is registered at PROSPERO with registration number CRD42020158224. A comprehensive online databases (PubMed, HINARI, Scopus, EMBASE, Science direct, and Cochrane library database), Google Scholar, African Journals online, other gray and online repository accessed studies will be searched using different search engines. In addition, maternity and infant care databases uploaded at Ethiopian Health Development Journal and Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences will be searched until 30 June 2020. Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) will be used for critical appraisal of studies. Three reviewers will screen all retrieved articles, conduct data extraction, and then critically appraise all identified studies. All identified observational studies reporting the prevalence of birth asphyxia and associated factors among neonates in Ethiopia will be considered. The analysis of data will be done using STATA 11.0. We will demonstrate pooled estimates and determinants of birth asphyxia with effect size and 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity among the included studies will be assessed through the Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test. Publication bias will be checked using funnel plot and Egger's test. Finally, statistical significance level will be declared at a p value of less than 0.05. The result from this systematic review will inform and guide health policy planners to invest limited resources on maternal and neonatal health. Furthermore, it will be a stimulus for future cumulative meta-analysis researchers in developing nations.

Tadesse AW ，Muluneh MD ，Aychiluhm SB ，Mare KU ，Wagaw GB ... -  《Systematic Reviews》