Effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for reducing postpartum fatigue: A systematic review and meta- analysis

Abstract Background: Postpartum fatigue is the most common issue among postnatal women and it could not only seriously affect the health of mothers but also bring about adverse impacts on their offspring. However, postpartum fatigue is an ongoing research issue but is seldom treated. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesize nonpharmacological evidence and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for reducing postpartum fatigue among puerperae.Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ProQuest databases were searched for papers published from inception until February 2021. Grey literature was searched using OpenGrey. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled clinical trials (CCTs) evaluating nonpharmacological interventions for postpartum fatigue reduction were eligible for inclusion. The methodological quality of the included studies was independently assessed by two reviewers using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions. The meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3.Results: Seventeen published clinical trials matched the eligibility criteria for the systematic review, and thirteen studies involving 1686 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that exercise (SMD= -1.74, 95% CI=-2.61 to -0.88), physical therapy (SMD= -0.50, 95% CI=-0.96 to -0.03) and drinking tea (MD= -3.12, 95% CI=-5.44 to -0.80) resulted in significant improvements in women’s postpartum fatigue at postintervention. Drinking tea may have beneficial effects on depression (MD= -2.89, 95% CI=-4.30 to -1.49). Positive effects of psychoeducational interventions on postpartum fatigue or depression were not observed.Conclusions: This review provides evidence that exercise, physical therapy and drinking tea are effective nonpharmacological interventions for relieving postpartum fatigue. Detailed instructions for postpartum exercise should be offered to puerperae. Physical therapy could be used in combination to enhance the intervention efficacy. Multiple daily cups of tea may be recommended. Psychoeducational interventions were ineffective for postpartum fatigue, but they could be integrated with the internet or smartphones to improve their effectiveness in the future. Fatigue-related nonpharmacological interventions of psychological outcomes still need to be studied.

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Effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for reducing postpartum fatigue: a meta-analysis

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-021-04096-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jialu Qian ◽

Shiwen Sun ◽

Lu Liu ◽

Xiaoyan Yu

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Start Time ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Skin Contact ◽

Postpartum Fatigue

Abstract Background Postpartum fatigue is the most common issue among postnatal women and it could not only seriously affect the health of mothers but also bring about adverse impacts on their offspring. This meta-analysis aims to synthesize nonpharmacological evidence and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for reducing postpartum fatigue among puerperae. Methods The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ProQuest databases were searched for papers published from inception until June 2021. Grey literature was searched using OpenGrey. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled clinical trials (CCTs) evaluating nonpharmacological interventions conducted during 0 ~ 78 weeks postpartum for fatigue reduction were eligible for inclusion. The methodological quality of the included studies was independently assessed by two reviewers using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions. Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used to measure inter-rater agreement. The meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3. Results Seventeen published clinical trials matched the eligibility criteria and ten studies involving 1194 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The intervention start time varied from immediately postpartum care to 1 year after delivery, and duration ranged from 1 day to 3 months. The results revealed that exercise (SMD = − 1.74, 95% CI = -2.61 to − 0.88) and drinking tea (MD = − 3.12, 95% CI = -5.44 to − 0.80) resulted in significant improvements in women’s postpartum fatigue at postintervention. Drinking tea may have beneficial effects on depression (MD = − 2.89, 95% CI = -4.30 to − 1.49). Positive effects of psychoeducational interventions on postpartum fatigue or depression were not observed. Physical therapies including mother-infant skin-to-skin contact, taking warm showers and breathing lavender oil aroma were used for reducing postpartum fatigue. No significant risk of publication bias was found. Small number of included studies and sample sizes, not time-matched conditions of control groups, high heterogeneity and the risk of bias within the included studies were the main limitations of our review. Conclusions This review provides evidence that exercise and drinking tea may be effective nonpharmacological interventions for relieving postpartum fatigue. More effective and targeted exercise programs need to be further studied. Rigorous RCTs of drinking tea are needed. Caution is required when interpreting the findings due to the limitations of our study. Further studies are still needed to validate our findings and increase confidence in the results.

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Effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women with sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.12592/v3 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Weili Wang ◽

Kuang-Huei Chen ◽

Ying-Chieh Pan ◽

Szu-Nian Yang ◽

Yuan-Yu Chan

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Objectives To examine the effectiveness and safety of yoga for women with sleep problems by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods Medline/PubMed, Clincalkey, ScienceDirect, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched throughout the month of June 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing yoga groups with control groups in women with sleep problems were included. Two reviewers independently evaluated risk of bias by using the risk of bias tool suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration for programming and conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The main outcome measure was sleep quality or the severity of insomnia, which was measured using subjective instruments, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia severity index (ISI), or objective instruments, such as polysomnography, actigraphy, and safety of the intervention. For each outcome, standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined. Results Nineteen studies including 1832 participants were included in this systematic review. Meta-analyses revealed positive effects of yoga using PSQI or ISI scores in 16 randomized control trials (RCTs) compared with the control group in improving sleep quality in women, PSQI (SMD = −0.54; 95% CI = −0.89 to −0.19 ; P = 0.003). However, three RCTs revealed no effects of yoga compared with the control group in reducing the severity of insomnia in women using ISI (SMD = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.74 to 0.48; P = 0.69). Seven RCTs revealed no evidence for effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving sleep quality for women with breast cancer using PSQI (SMD = −0.15 ; 95% CI = −0.31 to 0.01; P = 0.5). Four RCTs revealed no evidence for the effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving the sleep quality for peri-or postmenopausal women using PSQI (SMD = −0.31; 95% CI = −0.95 to 0.33; P = 0.34).Yoga was not associated with serious adverse events. Discussion This systematic review and meta-analysis found that yoga intervention in some groups of women was beneficial in managing sleep problems. Despite certain disadvantages in methodology in the included studies, yoga may be recommended as a complementary therapy to women.

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The effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women with sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.12592/v5 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Weili Wang ◽

Kuang-Huei Chen ◽

Ying-Chieh Pan ◽

Szu-Nian Yang ◽

Yuan-Yu Chan

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Background: To examine the effectiveness and safety of yoga of women with sleep problems by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Medline/PubMed, ClinicalKey, ScienceDirect, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched throughout the month of June, 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing yoga groups with control groups in women with sleep problems were included. Two reviewers independently evaluated risk of bias by using the risk of bias tool suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration for programming and conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The main outcome measure was sleep quality or the severity of insomnia, which was measured using subjective instruments, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep QualityIndex (PSQI),Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), or objective instruments such as polysomnography, actigraphy, and safety of the intervention. For each outcome, a standardized mean difference (SMD) and confidence intervals (CIs) of 95% were determined. Results: Nineteen studies in this systematic review included 1832 participants. The meta-analysis of the combined data conducted according to Comprehensive Meta-Analysis showed a significant improvement in sleep (SMD =−0.327, 95% CI=−0.506 to −0.148,P<0.001).Meta-analyses revealed positive effects of yoga using PSQI scores in 16 randomized control trials (RCTs), compared with the control group in improving sleep quality among women usingPSQI (SMD = −0.54; 95% CI = −0.89 to −0.19; P = 0.003). However, three RCTs revealed no effects of yoga compared to the control groupin reducing insomnia among women using ISI (SMD = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.74 to 0.48; P = 0.69).Yoga was not associated with any serious adverse events. Discussion: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that yoga intervention in women can be beneficial whencompared to non-active control conditions in term of managing sleep problems.The moderator analyses suggest that participants in the non-breast cancer subgroup and participants in the non-peri/postmenopausal subgroup were associated with greater benefits, with a direct correlation of total class time with quality of sleep among other related benefits.

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Effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women with sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.12592/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Weili Wang ◽

Kuang-Huei Chen ◽

Ying-Chieh Pan ◽

Szu-Nian Yang ◽

Yuan-Yu Chan

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Objectives To examine the effectiveness and safety of yoga for women with sleep problems by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods Medline/PubMed, Clincalkey, ScienceDirect, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched throughout the month of June 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing yoga groups with control groups in women with sleep problems were included. Two reviewers independently evaluated risk of bias by using the risk of bias tool suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration for programming and conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The main outcome measure was sleep qualityor the severity of insomnia, which was measured using subjective instruments, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia severity index (ISI), or objective instruments, such as polysomnography, actigraphy, and safety of the intervention. For each outcome, standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined.Results Nineteen studies including 1832 participants were included in this systematic review. Meta-analyses revealed positive effects of yoga using PSQI or ISI scores in 16 randomized control trials (RCTs) compared with the control group in improving sleep quality in women, PSQI (SMD = −0.54; 95% CI = −0.89 to −0.19 ; P = 0.003). However, three RCTs revealed no effects of yoga compared with the control group in reducing the severity of insomnia in women using ISI (SMD = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.74 to 0.48; P = 0.69). Seven RCTs revealed no evidence for effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving sleep quality for women with breast cancer using PSQI (SMD = −0.15 ; 95% CI = −0.31 to 0.01; P = 0.5). Four RCTs revealed no evidence for the effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving the sleep quality for peri-or postmenopausal women using PSQI (SMD = −0.31; 95% CI = −0.95 to 0.33; P = 0.34).Yoga was not associated with serious adverse events.Discussion This systematic review and meta-analysis found that yoga intervention in some groups of women was beneficial in managing sleep problems. Despite certain disadvantages in methodology in the included studies, yoga may be recommended as a complementary therapy to women.

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The effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women with sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.12592/v4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Weili Wang ◽

Kuang-Huei Chen ◽

Ying-Chieh Pan ◽

Szu-Nian Yang ◽

Yuan-Yu Chan

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Objectives: To examine the effectiveness and safety of yoga of women with sleep problems by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Medline/PubMed, ClinicalKey, ScienceDirect, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched throughout the month of June, 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing yoga groups with control groups in women with sleep problems were included. Two reviewers independently evaluated risk of bias by using the risk of bias tool suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration for programming and conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The main outcome measure was sleep quality or the severity of insomnia, which was measured using subjective instruments, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep QualityIndex (PSQI),Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), or objective instruments such as polysomnography, actigraphy, and safety of the intervention. For each outcome, a standardized mean difference (SMD) and confidence intervals (CIs) of 95% were determined. Results: Nineteen studies in this systematic review included 1832 participants. The meta-analysis of the combined data conducted according to Comprehensive Meta-Analysis showed a significant improvement in sleep (SMD =−0.327, 95% CI=−0.506 to −0.148,P<0.001).Meta-analyses revealed positive effects of yoga using PSQI scores in 16 randomized control trials (RCTs), compared with the control group in improving sleep quality among women usingPSQI (SMD = −0.54; 95% CI = −0.89 to −0.19; P = 0.003). However, three RCTs revealed no effects of yoga compared to the control groupin reducing insomnia amongwomen using ISI (SMD = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.74 to 0.48; P = 0.69).Yoga was not associated with any serious adverse events. Discussion: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that yoga intervention in women can be beneficial whencompared to non-active control conditions in term of managing sleep problems.The moderator analyses suggest that participants in the non-breast cancer subgroup and participants in the non-peri/postmenopausal subgroup were associated with greater benefits, with a direct correlation of total class time with quality of sleep among other related benefits.

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Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for reducing postpartum fatigue: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051136 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. e051136

Author(s):

Jialu Qian ◽

Shiwen Sun ◽

Lu Liu ◽

Xiaoyan Yu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomised Controlled Trials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Published Data ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Pharmacological Interventions ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Postpartum Fatigue

IntroductionPostpartum fatigue is a common symptom among new mothers after their pregnancy. It has a considerable negative impact on women’s functional and mental status as well as the development of babies. Identifying effective interventions to prevent or reduce postpartum fatigue is meaningful to improve the quality of life and avoid adverse outcomes of this vulnerable population. This systematic review aims to synthesise non-pharmacological evidence and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for reducing postpartum fatigue among puerperas.Methods and analysisThis review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. We will systematically search the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ProQuest databases to identify clinical trials implementing non-pharmacological interventions conducted during 0–78 weeks postpartum for fatigue reduction. An additional search of OpenGrey will be conducted to identify grey literature. The search will be performed on 30 March 2021 without restrictions on time and language. Two independent reviewers will be responsible for study selection, data extraction and study quality assessment. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool will be adopted to evaluate the risk biases of the included randomised controlled trials, and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions will be applied to evaluate non-randomised controlled trials. Any disagreements will be referred to a third reviewer to reach a consensus. Findings will be qualitatively synthesised, and a meta-analysis will be conducted for the statistical combination if outcome data are sufficient and available.Ethics and disseminationThis systematic review will not involve the collection of primary data and will be based on published data. Therefore, ethics approval is not required. The final findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021234869

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Effect of yoga on sleep quality in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.12592/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Weili Wang ◽

Kuang-Huei Chen ◽

Ying-Chieh Pan ◽

Szu-Nian Yang ◽

Yuan-Yu Chan

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Control Group ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Objectives To examine the effectiveness and safety of yoga for women with sleep problems by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods Medline/PubMed, Clincalkey, ScienceDirect, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched throughout the month of June 2019. Randomized controlled trials comparing yoga groups with control groups in women with sleep problems were included. Two reviewers independently evaluated risk of bias by using the risk of bias tool suggested by the Cochrane Collaboration for programming and conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The main outcome measure was sleep quality, which was measured using subjective instruments, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), or objective instruments, such as polysomnography, actigraphy, and safety of the intervention. For each outcome, standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined. Results Nineteen studies including 1832 participants were included in this systematic review. Meta-analyses revealed positive effects of yoga using PSQI or ISI scores in 16 randomized control trials (RCTs) compared with the control group in improving sleep quality in women, PSQI (SMD = −0.42; 95% CI = −0.76 to −0.09 ; P = 0.01). However, three RCTs revealed no effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving sleep quality in women using ISI (SMD = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.74 to 0.48; P = 0.69). Seven RCTs revealed no evidence for effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving sleep quality for women with breast cancer using PSQI (SMD = −0.15 ; 95% CI = −0.31 to 0.01; P = 0.5). Four RCTs revealed no evidence for the effects of yoga compared with the control group in improving the sleep quality for peri-or postmenopausal women using PSQI (SMD = −0.31; 95% CI = −0.95 to 0.33; P = 0.34).Yoga was not associated with serious adverse events. Discussion This systematic review and meta-analysis found that yoga intervention in various groups of women was beneficial in managing sleep problems. Despite certain disadvantages in methodology in the included studies, yoga may be recommended as an additional therapy to women in addition to pharmacological treatment.

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Does Caffeine Consumption Affect the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease? A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Archives of Neuroscience ◽

10.5812/ans.115878 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Anita Reyhanifard ◽

Sarvin Sanaie ◽

Mojgan Mirghafurvand ◽

Sama Rahnemayan ◽

Arezoo Fathalizadeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library

Objectives: This systematic review of the literature was carried out to see whether coffee consumption could affect Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), crossover studies, and quasi-experimental studies were assessed to evaluate the effect of caffeine on PD. The databases including Medline/PubMed, ProQuest, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized clinical trials and the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) were used to assess the quality of RCTs and non-randomized clinical trials, respectively. A meta-analysis of the results was not possible because of reporting different outcomes. Results: Four papers were included in this study. Only one study reported the significant effect of caffeine on ESS and UPDRS. Another study observed no significant effect of caffeine on ESS during three- and six-week interventions. However, a significant reduction in ESS scores in the sixth week was reported after excluding four protocol violations. This study reported that the UPDRS score reduced in the third week, but significant changes were observed after six weeks. The other two studies did not show a significant effect of caffeine on ESS and UPDRS. Conclusions: Since a meta-analysis was not conducted, there was insufficient evidence to evaluate the effect of caffeine on PD. Thus, it is recommended to conduct more well-designed RCTs with a larger sample size to assess the effect of caffeine on PD.

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Effectiveness of Nutritional Education for Obese Older Adults With Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1291 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 401-401

Author(s):

Yue-Heng Yin ◽

Liu Yat Justina

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Physical Function ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Well Being ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Nutritional Education ◽

Hand Search ◽

Education Interventions

Abstract Obesity has been shown to intensify the decline of physical function and lead to frailty. Nutrition is an important method in managing obesity and frailty, while seldom reviews have ever explored the effects of nutritional education interventions. We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42019142403) to explore the effectiveness of nutritional education interventions in managing body composition and physio-psychosocial parameters related to frailty. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were searched in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus from 2001 to 2019. Hand search for the reference lists of included papers was conducted as well. We assessed the quality of included studies by Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analyses and narrative synthesis were used to analyse the data. Two studies with low risk of bias were screened from 180 articles, which involved 177 older people with an average age of 69.69±4.08 years old. The results showed that nutritional education was significantly effective in reducing body weight and fat mass than exercises, and it was beneficial to enhancing physical function and psychosocial well-being. But the effects of nutritional education in increasing muscle strength were not better than exercises. The combined effects of nutritional education and exercises were superior than either exercises or nutritional education interventions solely in preventing the loss of lean mass and bone marrow density, and in improving physical function. Due to limited numbers of relevant studies, the strong evidence of effectiveness of nutritional education interventions on reversing frailty is still lacking.

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Prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040997 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e040997

Author(s):

Varo Kirthi ◽

Paul Nderitu ◽

Uazman Alam ◽

Jennifer Evans ◽

Sarah Nevitt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diabetic Retinopathy ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

International Diabetes Federation ◽

Current Data ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Fundus Photography ◽

Primary Data ◽

Cochrane Library

IntroductionThere is growing evidence of a higher than expected prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes. This paper presents the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis of retinopathy in prediabetes. The aim of the review is to estimate the prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes and to summarise the current data.Methods and analysisThis protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. A comprehensive electronic bibliographic search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library. Eligible studies will report prevalence data for retinopathy on fundus photography in adults with prediabetes. No time restrictions will be placed on the date of publication. Screening for eligible studies and data extraction will be conducted by two reviewers independently, using predefined inclusion criteria and prepiloted data extraction forms. Disagreements between the reviewers will be resolved by discussion, and if required, a third (senior) reviewer will arbitrate.The primary outcome is the prevalence of any standard features of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on fundus photography, as per International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (ICDRSS) classification. Secondary outcomes are the prevalence of (1) any retinal microvascular abnormalities on fundus photography that are not standard features of DR as per ICDRSS classification and (2) any macular microvascular abnormalities on fundus photography, including but not limited to the presence of macular exudates, microaneurysms and haemorrhages. Risk of bias for included studies will be assessed using a validated risk of bias tool for prevalence studies. Pooled estimates for the prespecified outcomes of interest will be calculated using random effects meta-analytic techniques. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I2 statistic.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required as this is a protocol for a systematic review and no primary data are to be collected. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international meetings including Diabetes UK, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, American Diabetes Association and International Diabetes Federation conferences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020184820.

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