SynthesisPloS one2019
Effects of armed conflict on child health and development: A systematic review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 98 papers, 2 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
98 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 264 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pediatric traumatic brain injuries in war zones: a systematic literature review.Frontiers in neurology · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of EMDR therapy for children and adolescents in Ukraine during war.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- Understanding mental health needs in Ukraine: protocol for a longitudinal survey of mental health in children and caregivers during the war in Ukraine.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- Prenatal and Early Childhood Ambient Heat Exposure and Developmental Outcomes: A Systematic Review.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2026Review
- The Effects of Armed Conflict on Healthcare Delivery and Nutritional Services in Somalia: A Narrative Review.Public health challenges · 2026Review
- Measuring the Impact of Armed Conflict on Population Health: A Guide for Researchers.Population and development review · 2026Article
- Suicides, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among children and young people exposed to war: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2026Article
- The world's longest running civil war and chronic childhood undernutrition in Myanmar: a propensity score matched analysis.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2026Article
- The impacts of peace and conflict resolution interventions on mental health and psychological well-being: a systematic review.Conflict and health · 2026Review
- Congo's conflicts, minerals and microbes: planetary health implications.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Article
- Psychological Interventions Targeting Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents Living in War or Conflict Affected Zones: A Scoping Review.Current psychiatry reports · 2026Article
- Armed conflict, child marriage, and maternal healthcare utilization: Evidence from 82 surveys in 49 low-and lower-middle-income countries.Primary health care research & development · 2026Article
- A multi-country epidemiological analysis of mortality from landmines and other explosive ordnance.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Children's rights and needs during war: the case of adolescents in Israel.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The intergenerational legacies of research disinvestment, aid retrenchment and transactional compacts on global women's health.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Perinatal mental health and reproductive behavior among women in wartime Ukraine: a cohort study protocol.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Psychological impact of armed conflict and forced displacement on children and adolescents.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2026Review
- Injury morbidity and mortality during conflict: evidence from the 2024 war on lebanon.Conflict and health · 2025Article
38 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundArmed conflicts affect more than one in 10 children globally. While there is a large literature on mental health, the effects of armed conflict on children's physical health and development are not well understood. This systematic review summarizes the current and past knowledge on the effects of armed conflict on child health and development.
methodsA systematic review was performed with searches in major and regional databases for papers published 1 January 1945 to 25 April 2017. Included studies provided data on physical and/or developmental outcomes associated with armed conflict in children under 18 years. Data were extracted on health outcomes, displacement, social isolation, experience of violence, orphan status, and access to basic needs. The review is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42017036425.
findingsAmong 17,679 publications screened, 155 were eligible for inclusion. Nearly half of the 131 quantitative studies were case reports, chart or registry reviews, and one-third were cross-sectional studies. Additionally, 18 qualitative and 6 mixed-methods studies were included. The papers describe mortality, injuries, illnesses, environmental exposures, limitations in access to health care and education, and the experience of violence, including torture and sexual violence. Studies also described conflict-related social changes affecting child health. The geographical coverage of the literature is limited. Data on the effects of conflict on child development are scarce.
interpretationThe available data document the pervasive effect of conflict as a form of violence against children and a negative social determinant of child health. There is an urgent need for research on the mechanisms by which conflict affects child health and development and the relationship between physical health, mental health, and social conditions. Particular priority should be given to studies on child development, the long term effects of exposure to conflict, and protective and mitigating factors against the harmful effects of armed conflict on children.
Indexed as
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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.