SynthesisPloS one2022
Malnutrition among the aged population in Africa: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of studies over the past 20 years.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Descriptive Epidemiology of Probable Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Tanzanians: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls · 2026Article
- Nutrition Outcomes and Interventions in Older People in Africa: A Systematic Umbrella and Scoping Review.Nutrition reviews · 2026Article
- Risk of malnutrition, food insecurity, dietary quality, and associated factors among Malawian older adults at hospital admission: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Factors associated with malnutrition in nursing home residents: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Journal of Korean gerontological nursing · 2025Review
- Exploring Early Childhood Development Interventions for Building Human Capital in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review.Child: care, health and development · 2025Article
- Nutritional status of hospitalized elderly patients in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study of an important yet neglected problem in clinical practice.Frontiers in nutrition · 2023Article
- Recent Advances in 3D Food Printing: A Review with Focus on Personalized Nutrition and Functional Food Applications.Food technology and biotechnologyReview
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNowadays, malnutrition among the advanced age (60 years and older) population is becoming a public health problem worldwide, especially in low-income countries including Africa. Hence, the prevalence in Africa is still not known. So, this review aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of under-nutrition among the advanced age population in Africa.
methodsA study search was carried out using databases (such as African Journals Online, Web of Science, Global Index Medicus, Embess, and PubMed) and gray literature following PRISMA guidelines from April 20, 2022, to May 30, 2022, with no restriction on date of publication. We used a standardized extraction format to compile eligible studies as per the inclusion criteria. Then, systematic review and meta-analysis were employed using a random effect model to obtain the pooled prevalence of malnutrition among aged population living in Africa. The counter-funnel plot and at the 5% significance level, Egger's test and Begg's test were used to check for publication bias. Furthermore, a meta-regression analysis was carried out to identify the relationship between the outcome of interest and different predictors.
resultsA total of 731 studies were identified and 28 met the inclusion criteria, which were conducted in 17 African countries. The pooled prevalence of under-nutrition in Africa was 17% (95%CI; 13.5-20.6). The prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly varied significantly across countries, ranging from 1.8% (95% CI; 0.96-2.63) in South Africa to 39.47% (95% CI; 31.70-47.24) in Kenya. According to meta-regression analysis, the likelihood of a malnutrition problem would be reduced by a factor of 9.84 (β = -9.84, 95 percent CI; _-14.97, -4.70, P = 0.00) in upper-middle income countries. In addition, based on the publication year, malnutrition has decreased by a factor of 0.75 (β = -0.75, 95%CI:-1.49, -0.01, P = 0.04) from 1998 to 2021.
conclusionThere is a high prevalence of malnutrition among the aged population. So, this underserved population should be targeted for intervention programs and/or integrated into maternal and child nutrition programs.
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