ArticleAmerican journal of respiratory and critical care medicine2016
Noncommunicable Lung Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Community-based Cross-Sectional Study of Adults in Urban Malawi.
Article in American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 68 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
68 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of preserved ratio impaired spirometry and restrictive spirometry pattern in the general population: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis of studies from multiple countries.Journal of global health · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of HIV on respiratory symptoms, health status, and exertional capacity.AIDS (London, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of Human Immunodeficiency Virus on Lung Function and Structure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Pattern of Imaging Defined Post-TB Lung Disease.PloS one · 2016Pooled it
- Trial
- The Cooking and Pneumonia Study (CAPS) in Malawi: A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Carbon Monoxide Exposure and Carboxyhemoglobin Levels in Children under 5 Years Old.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Trial
- A cleaner burning biomass-fuelled cookstove intervention to prevent pneumonia in children under 5 years old in rural Malawi (the Cooking and Pneumonia Study): a cluster randomised controlled trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2017Trial
- The Cooking and Pneumonia Study (CAPS) in Malawi: A Nested Pilot of Photovoice Participatory Research Methodology.PloS one · 2016Trial
- Prevalence of abnormal spirometry and correlates of lung function decline among a population in rural Uganda.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry in the Ugandan Link Cohort: A Longitudinal Follow-Up.CHEST pulmonary · 2026Article
- Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Emerging Cardiopulmonary Phenotype and Cardiovascular Risk-A Narrative Review.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Global disparities in chronic dyspnoea prevalence in population-based studies: a comprehensive literature review.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Review
- Personal PM2.5 exposure and lung function among adults with and without HIV who have recovered from pneumonia in Kampala, Uganda.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2026Article
- 'I don't think they involve me in any way': Qualitative study of patient centrality in chronic non-communicable disease management in Ghana.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Determinants of Bronchiectasis Among Patients Attending Chest Clinic of Teaching Hospital in Ethiopia: Case-Control Study.Pulmonary medicine · 2026Article
- Implications of reference equations for interpretation of spirometry in three African countries: a cross-sectional study.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Prevalence, Risk Factors of Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry in adult in plateau: A Cross-Sectional Study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry (PRISm): A Global Epidemiological Overview, Radiographic Characteristics, Comorbid Associations, and Differentiation from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2024Review
- Prevalence and Associated Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults in Neno District, Malawi: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2024Article
8 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
rationaleNoncommunicable diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). Valid burden of disease estimates are lacking for noncommunicable lung disease in sSA.
objectivesWe performed a community-based survey to determine the prevalence of chronic lung disease among adults 18 years or older in Malawi, using American Thoracic Society standard spirometry, internationally validated respiratory symptom and exposure questionnaires, and an assessment of HIV status.
methodsAn age- and sex-stratified random sample of 2,000 adults was taken from the population of the Chilomoni district of Blantyre, Malawi. Fieldworkers collected questionnaire data, conducted HIV testing, and performed pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry on eligible participants. Survey-weighted population prevalence estimates of respiratory symptoms and spirometric abnormalities were computed, and bivariate and multivariable regression were used to identify associated variables. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
resultsQuestionnaire data, HIV status, and standard spirometry were obtained from 1,059, 933, and 749 participants, respectively. Current respiratory symptoms, exposure to biomass, and ever-smoking were reported by 11.8, 85.2, and 10.4% of participants, respectively. HIV prevalence was 24.2%. Moderate to severe airway obstruction was seen in 3.6%. The prevalence of spirometric restriction was 38.6% using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III reference ranges and 9.0% using local reference ranges. Age was positively associated with obstruction, whereas low body mass index was associated with restriction.
conclusionsMore than 40% of the Malawian adults in our urban population sample had abnormal lung function (mostly restrictive) in the context of widespread exposure to biomass smoke and a high prevalence of HIV. These findings potentially have major public health implications for Malawi and the broader sSA region.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.