Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42545631›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Middle East and North Africa Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Confounder-Adjusted Studies.

Aishat F Akomolafe, Fathima R Mahmood, Bushra M Abdallah, Amgad M Elshoeibi, Elhassan Mahmoud, Aisha Abdulla Al-Khulaifi, Nour Darwish, Yara Dweidri, Duaa Yousif, Hafsa Khalid and 7 more

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Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Aishat F AkomolafeCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Fathima R MahmoodCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Bushra M AbdallahCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Amgad M ElshoeibiCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Elhassan MahmoudCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Aisha Abdulla Al-KhulaifiCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Nour DarwishCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Yara DweidriCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Duaa YousifCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Hafsa KhalidCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Majed Al-TheyabCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Muhammad Waqar AzeemSidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
Durre ShahwarSidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
Madeeha KamalSidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
Majid AlabdullaHamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Salma M KhaledCollege of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
Tawanda ChiveseDepartment of Science and Mathematics, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (SIAS), University of Washington Tacoma, Washington, WA98402, USA. tchivese@uw.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6621-6144

Funding

Qatar National Research Fund UREP30-211-3-073
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is poorly understood, with sparse data from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which has a unique socio-epidemiological setting. This research investigated early-life developmental risk factors associated with ASD in the MENA region.

methodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL databases for observational studies that conducted adjusted analyses of ASD risk factors in the MENA region. We analyzed associations between ASD and factors related to conception, inheritance, maternal morbidity during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. After study quality assessment, meta-analyses for each risk factor were carried out using a bias-adjusted inverse variance heterogeneity model. Heterogeneity was assessed using I

resultsThe systematic review included 19 case-control studies from eight countries within the MENA region. In overall synthesis, male sex (OR = 3.27, 95% CI: 2.39-4.48, I

conclusionThese findings confirm the association between male sex, family history of ASD and consanguinity with ASD, potentially suggesting some inherited mechanism in the etiology of ASD in the MENA region. Some maternal co-morbidities during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes may contribute to higher ASD risk, although more studies are needed in the region. REGISTRATION: The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis is registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with registration ID CRD42024499837.

Indexed as

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)Middle East and North Africa (MENA)Risk factors

Identifiers

PMID42545631

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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.