SynthesisBehavioural neurology2016
A Systematic Review of Research on Autism Spectrum Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Synthesis in Behavioural neurology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 126 citations in OpenAlex.
- Stakeholder experiences, attitudes and perspectives on inclusive education for children with developmental disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2022Pooled it
- The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Cultural and Contextual Factors on Autism Across the Globe.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2020Pooled it
- Cultural and linguistic correlates of autism in Jordan.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Community Perceptions of the Causes of Autism and Help-Seeking Responses: A Multi-Site Qualitative Study Across Northern Uganda.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Among Pregnant Women in Resource-Limited Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Identifying biomarkers of neurodevelopmental and mental health outcomes in a prospective longitudinal cohort of South African children: design and feasibility of the Safe Passage BONO study.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Article
- Review
- Autism outcomes and neurobehavioural markers in young children born to mothers with HIV in Kenya: a protocol for the Alama project.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Pathways and delays in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in Kenya: a cross-sectional study from tertiary hospitals in Nairobi.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2025Article
- Screening young children for neurodevelopmental differences in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Translation, Cultural Adaption, and Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of "First Year Inventory," an Autism Screening Tool.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2025Article
- Neurodevelopmental disorders at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital: a 4-year retrospective database review.BMJ paediatrics open · 2025Article
- Psychological and spiritual well-being of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in Ghana.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Sexual Affectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Bibliometric Profile of Scientific Production.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Socio-medical factors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders on the Kenyan coast.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Centering caregiver voices on caregiving needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in low-resource settings.PloS one · 2025Article
- Factors that inhibit the social involvement of children with autism: perspectives of parents in the Cape Coast metropolis.BMC pediatrics · 2024Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on child and adolescent mental health among healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.International journal of mental health systems · 2024Article
- Pepea Pamoja:Child: care, health and development · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The burden of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is not well known. We carried out a systematic review of the literature to identify published work from SSA. We have systematically searched four databases, namely, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Child Development & Adolescent Studies, through EBSCO and identified studies from across SSA. Based on predefined inclusion criteria, 47 studies were included in this review. Most of the identified studies (74%) were conducted in only 2 African countries, that is, South Africa and Nigeria. Additionally, most of these studies (83%) were carried out in the last decade. These studies had four major themes: development of measurement tools of ASD in Africa, examining the prevalence of ASD, identifying risk factors and risk markers, and examining psychosocial issues. We identified only a single population level study aimed at documenting the prevalence of ASD and could not identify a single case-control study aimed at examining a comprehensive set of potential risk factors. All intervention studies were based on very small sample sizes. Put together, our findings suggest that current evidence base is too scanty to provide the required information to plan adequately for effective intervention strategies for children with ASD in Africa.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.