A systematic review of childhood obesity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: Health impact and management

Objective. Data on the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in Middle Eastern and North African countries are scarce. We aimed to review all relevant published data in countries belonging to this region to determine the overall prevalence of LTBI in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Methods. In this systematic review PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for observational, prospective, retrospective, cross-sectional, and cohort studies providing prevalence data of LTBI in any MENA country. Studies fulfilling the search criteria were incorporated in the review. Overall prevalence of LTBI with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated using the random-effects model; heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics. Gender and age group-based subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the basis of heterogeneity. Results. The total number of overall LTBI studies identified was 956, of which 31 studies from ten countries within the MENA region were included that represented 12,439 subjects. The overall prevalence was 41.78% (95% CI 31.18% to 52.78%, I 2 = 99.31 % ). By gender-based subgroup analysis, the prevalence of LTBI was 33.12% (95% CI 18.97% to 49.04%, I 2 = 99.25 % ) and 32.65% (95% CI 19.79% to 47%, I 2 = 98.89 % ) in males and females, respectively, while in the age-based subgroup analysis, the prevalence of LTBI was 0.44% (95% CI -0.05% to 0.9%), 3.37% (95% CI 2.23% to 4.74%, I 2 = 0 % ), and 43.81% (95% CI 33.09% to 54.82%, I 2 = 99.18 % ) for children, adolescents, and adults, respectively. Conclusion. This systematic review reveals a high prevalence of LTBI in the MENA region; enhanced LTBI surveillance and prompt infection prevention steps are urgently needed to prevent active tuberculosis, this would help achieve the World Health Organization End TB Strategy 2035, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 target in the MENA region.

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The epidemiology of Norovirus in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: a systematic review

Virology Journal ◽

10.1186/s12985-017-0877-3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Khalil Kreidieh ◽

Rana Charide ◽

Ghassan Dbaibo ◽

Nada M. Melhem

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Middle East ◽

North Africa ◽

Mena Region

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Systematic Review of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prevalence, Genotype Distribution, and Seasonality in Children from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8050713 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 713 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hadi M. Yassine ◽

Muhammad U. Sohail ◽

Nadin Younes ◽

Gheyath K. Nasrallah

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽

Middle East ◽

North Africa ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Age Distribution ◽

Genotype Distribution ◽

Mena Region ◽

Vaccine Introduction ◽

Syncytial Virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viruses to infect children worldwide and is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness (LRI) in infants. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review by collecting and reviewing all the published knowledge about the epidemiology of RSV in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Therefore, we systematically searched four databases; Embase, Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane databases from 2001 to 2019 to collect all the information related to the RSV prevalence, genotype distribution, and seasonality in children in MENA region. Our search strategy identified 598 studies, of which 83 met our inclusion criteria, which cover the past 19 years (2000–2019). Odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) were calculated to measure the association between RSV prevalence, gender, and age distribution. An overall prevalence of 24.4% (n = 17,106/69,981) of respiratory infections was recorded for RSV. The highest RSV prevalence was reported in Jordan (64%, during 2006–2007) and Israel (56%, 2005–2006). RSV A subgroup was more prevalent (62.9%; OR = 2.9, 95%CI = 2.64–3.13) than RSV B. RSV was most prevalent in children who were less than 12 months old (68.6%; OR = 4.7, 95%CI = 2.6–8.6) and was higher in males (59.6%; OR = 2.17, 95%CI = 1.2–3.8) than in female infants. Finally, the highest prevalence was recorded during winter seasons in all countries, except for Pakistan. RSV prevalence in the MENA region is comparable with the global one (24.4% vs. 22%). This first comprehensive report about RSV prevalence in the MENA region and our data should be important to guide vaccine introduction decisions and future evaluation.

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Epidemiological Characteristics of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (TSCI) in the Middle-East and North-Africa (MENA) Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bulletin of Emergency and Trauma ◽

10.29252/beat-060201 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 75-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mohamed H. Elshahidi ◽

Nada Y. Monir ◽

Mohamed A. Elzhery ◽

Ahmed A. Sharaqi ◽

Hames Haedaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Middle East ◽

North Africa ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Mena Region ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics

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Characterization of Traumatic Brain Injury Research in the Middle East and North Africa Region: A Systematic Review

Neuroepidemiology ◽

10.1159/000511554 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Samar Al-Hajj ◽

Zeinab Hammoud ◽

Jure Colnaric ◽

Maya Ataya ◽

Marie Michele Macaron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Middle East ◽

North Africa ◽

Search Strategy ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Health Concern ◽

Care Providers ◽

Mena Region

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major health concern worldwide with a large impact in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as a consequence of protracted wars and conflicts that adversely affect the general population. Currently, systematic TBI studies in the MENA region are lacking, nonetheless they are immensely needed to enhance trauma management and increase survival rates among TBI patients. This systematic review aims to characterize TBI in the MENA region to guide future policy choices and research efforts and inform tailored guidelines capable of improving TBI management and patient treatment and outcome. Furthermore, it will serve as a road map to evaluate and assess knowledge of trauma impact on regional health systems that can be adopted by health-care providers to raise awareness and improve trauma care. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search strategy of several databases including MEDLINE/Ovid, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and the grey literature in accordance with the PROSPERO systematic review protocol CRD42017058952. Abstracts were screened, and selected eligible studies were reviewed independently by 2 reviewers. We collected demographics information along with TBI characteristics, mortality rates, and regional distribution. Data were extracted using REDCap and checked for accuracy. Results: The search strategy yielded 23,385 citations; 147 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Motor vehicle accident (MVA) was the leading cause of TBI (41%) in the MENA region, followed by the military- (15.6%) and fall- (8.8%) related TBI. Males predominantly suffer from TBI-related injuries (85%), with a high prevalence of MVA- and military-related TBI injuries. The TBI mortality rate was 12.9%. The leading causes of mortality were MVA (68%), military (20.5%), and assault (2.9%). The vast majority of reported TBI severity was mild (63.1%) compared to moderate (10.7%) and severe TBI (20.2%). Patients mainly underwent a Glasgow Coma Scale assessment (22.1%), followed by computed tomography scan (8.9%) and surgery (4.1%). Conclusions: Despite its clinical, social, and economic burden, the evidence of TBI research in the MENA region is scarce. Further research and high-quality epidemiological studies are urgently needed to gain a deep understanding of the TBI burden in the region, facilitate the allocation of adequate resources, implement effective preventive and intervention strategies and advise on the TBI patient management as reflective on the TBI patterns and modes.

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Epidemiology of Human Bocavirus in the Middle East and North Africa: Systematic Review

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10111456 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1456

Author(s):

Rana Abdelqader ◽

Hanan Hasan ◽

Lo’ai Alanagreh

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Middle East ◽

North Africa ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

P Value ◽

Human Bocavirus ◽

Emerging Viruses ◽

Mena Region ◽

Gastrointestinal Infections ◽

Significant Difference

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of studying newly emerging viruses that cause respiratory illnesses. Human bocavirus (HBoV) is one of the relatively newly discovered viruses that has been detected worldwide and causes respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, mainly in pediatric patients. However, little is known about the pathogenicity and evolution of HBoV. This systematic review was initiated to clarify the prevalence and circulating genotypes of HBoV in both respiratory and stool samples from patients of all age groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from 2005 to February 2021. We performed an electronic search through Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Mendeley and Cochrane Library databases. We included all studies reporting the detection rate of HBoV in the MENA region. Data were extracted, and the quality of the included articles was assessed. We included articles containing data on HBoV only or with other respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infections. Review articles, case studies, and animal and environmental studies were excluded. The final number of articles included in this study was 65 articles. The results showed that the HBoV prevalence in children was the lowest in Iran (0%) and the highest in Egypt (56.8%). In adults, the lowest and the highest prevalence were reported in Iran, with values of 0% and 6.6%, respectively. Regarding the respiratory cases, our findings revealed no significant difference between HBoV prevalence among the tested categories (p-value = 0.998). The present study has shown that HBoV is common in children and adults in the MENA region. This systematic review highlights the need for more data on the role of coinfection of HBoV and other viruses, for instance, SARS-CoV-2 in children with acute bronchiolitis.

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Assessing the Quality of Clinical Practice Guidelines in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region: A Systematic Review

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare ◽

10.2147/jmdh.s284689 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Volume 14 ◽

pp. 297-309

Author(s):

Saja H Almazrou ◽

Layan A Alsubki ◽

Norah A Alsaigh ◽

Wadha H Aldhubaib ◽

Sharifah M Ghazwani

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Middle East ◽

Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽

North Africa ◽

Practice Guidelines ◽

Mena Region

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Transitions Within Queer North African Cinema

Screen Bodies ◽

10.3167/screen.2017.020205 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 64-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Walter S. Temple

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Middle East ◽

North Africa ◽

Film Festivals ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Critical Factors ◽

North African ◽

Mena Region ◽

African Cinema ◽

Queer Cinema

In recent years, North African queer cinema has become increasingly visible both within and beyond Arabo-Orientale spaces. A number of critical factors have contributed to a global awareness of queer identities in contemporary Maghrebi cinema, including the dissemination of films through social media outlets and during international film festivals. Such tout contemporain representations of queer sexuality characterize a robust wave of films in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, inciting a new discourse on the condition of the marginalized traveler struggling to locate new forms of self and being—both at home and abroad.

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