SynthesisBMC gastroenterology2025
Global prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Global and regional prevalence, burden, and risk factors for MASLD in children and adolescents aged 5 to 24 years: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and modeling study.BMC medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Closing the policy gap: including children in the global agenda for steatotic liver disease.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2026Article
- Machine Learning-Based Comparative Analysis of Blood Cell-Derived Inflammatory Indices for Predicting MAFLD and Liver Fibrosis: Evidence From NHANES 2017-2020.Journal of clinical laboratory analysis · 2026Article
- Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Childhood: From Disease Heterogeneity to Personalized Care.Journal of personalized medicine · 2026Review
- Retrospective analysis of platelet to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in obese children with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
- Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: From Dysbiosis to Metagenomic Insights and Therapeutic Perspectives.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The Economic and Clinical Burden of Pediatric Obesity Within a Universal Health Coverage System in Thailand: A 9-Year Nationwide Analysis of 14.5 Million Hospitalizations.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Relationship between triglyceride-glucose-derived obesity indices and NAFLD in adolescents: A cross-sectional study.Medicine · 2026Article
- Retrospective Study of Serum Vitamin D Levels and Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in 222 Children and Adolescents Aged 6-18 Years With Obesity.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026Article
- Ferritin and Liver Steatosis in Children: Interactions Between Metabolic Clustering andInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Gut microbiota and pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: clinical evidence and therapeutic implications.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- Psychosocial aspects and mental health burden of pediatric MASLD.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease in children and adolescents: a scoping review and narrative synthesis of epidemiology, risk factors, and screening approaches with emerging implications for sub-Saharan Africa.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Article
- Pediatric MASLD in Severe Obesity: Current Clinical Perspectives on Diagnosis and Treatment.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Pharmacokinetics and Childhood Obesity: Pathophysiological Basis and Challenges in Choosing the Ideal Body Size Descriptor.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Early-Life Nutritional Determinants of Pediatric MASLD.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Association Between Sleep Duration, Screen-Based Sedentary Time, and Weight Status Among Chinese Adolescents.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe prevalence of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) among children and adolescents with overweight and/or obesity is rising globally, reflecting increasing obesity rates and metabolic syndrome. This study aims to provide a comprehensive global estimate of MAFLD prevalence in this population.
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using data from PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Web of Science, up to May 10, 2024. We included studies that diagnosed MAFLD in children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years using histological, imaging, or blood biomarker evidence. The prevalence rates were analyzed, and subgroup analyses were performed based on continent, development status, time period, sample source, diagnostic technique, and body mass index (BMI).
resultsThe analysis included 176 studies with a total of 57,058 participants. The global prevalence of MAFLD among children and adolescents with overweight and/or obesity was 41.2% (95% CI 39.7-44.6). Significant geographical variations were observed, with the highest prevalence in North America (43.6%) and the lowest in Africa (31.1%). Studies conducted after 2010 reported higher prevalence rates (42.5%) compared to those before 2010 (38.2%). Hospital-based studies showed the highest prevalence (42.5%), while community-based studies reported lower rates. Liver biopsy yielded the highest prevalence (51.2%) among diagnostic methods.
conclusionThe global prevalence of MAFLD in children and adolescents with overweight and/or obesity is alarmingly high. The study highlights significant geographical and methodological variations, underscoring the need for standardized diagnostic criteria and targeted public health interventions to address this growing epidemic.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.