SynthesisBMJ open2023
Undernutrition among children living in refugee camps: a systematic review of prevalence.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Factors and determinants of malnutrition among under-five children in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Africa: a systematic review.BMC nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- The hidden crisis: double burden of malnutrition among refugee children in South Asia - a systematic review and meta-analysis from observational studies.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- Prevalence of stunting among under-five children in refugee and internally displaced communities: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Nutritional Follow-Up in Indigenous Children Under Five Years in Colombia.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Association of micronutrient status with thyroid function in adolescent Afghan refugees; a cross-sectional study.Thyroid research · 2025Article
- Factors influencing food preferences and eating behaviour among the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) adolescents in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional survey.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis review aimed to provide an overview of the prevalence of undernutrition in children under 5 years old in refugee camps according to the different indicators. In addition, we aimed to evaluate the quality and quantity of relevant epidemiological data available.
designWe used a systematic review of prevalence study design to achieve the above aims. We sought eligible observational studies through database searching of OVID Medline, CAB Global Health, Scopus and PubMed; citation chasing; and grey literature searching.
settingThe setting of interest was refugee camps across the globe.
participantsParticipants in the studies included in the review were children under 5 years old. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures of interest were the prevalence of wasting, global acute malnutrition, stunting and underweight.
resultsThe review included 33 cross-sectional studies in 86 sites and a total of 36 750 participants. Overall, the quality of the studies was moderate to high, but some reports lacked clarity around data collection or outcome definitions. The results showed a wide variation in prevalence estimates across the different indicators and between different refugee camps. The median prevalence estimates of global acute malnutrition based on weight-for-height z-score, stunting and underweight were 7.1%, 23.8% and 16.7%, respectively. Using weight-for-height z-score identified a higher prevalence of acute malnutrition than using mid-upper arm circumference in the majority of studies.
conclusionsAcute malnutrition remains a public health problem in many refugee camps, but chronic malnutrition has a high prevalence in more locations. Research and policy must, therefore, focus not only on nutrition but also on the wider determinants of both acute and chronic undernutrition. The difference in prevalence of global acute malnutrition depending on the measure used has implications for screening and diagnosis.
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