Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among children aged 6–59 months in Cameroon: a multistage, stratified cluster sampling nationwide survey

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children ( 2) and obesity (BMI for age > 3). Regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors of overweight/obesity. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 8% (1.7% for obesity alone). Boys were more affected by overweight than girls with a prevalence of 9.7% and 6.4% respectively. The highest prevalence of overweight was observed in the Grassfield area (including people living in West and North-West regions) (15.3%). Factors that were independently associated with overweight and obesity included: having overweight mother (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.51; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.97) and obese mother (aOR = 2.19; 95% CI = 155 to 3.07), compared to having normal weight mother; high birth weight (aOR = 1.69; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.28) compared to normal birth weight; male gender (aOR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.95); low birth rank (aOR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.72); being aged between 13-24 months (aOR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.21 to 2.66) and 25-36 months (aOR = 2.79; 95% CI 1.93 to 4.13) compared to being aged 45 to 49 months; living in the grassfield area (aOR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.87 to 3.79) compared to living in Forest area. Muslim appeared as a protective factor (aOR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.95).compared to Christian religion. CONCLUSION: This study underlines a high prevalence of early childhood overweight with significant disparities between ecological areas of Cameroon. Risk factors of overweight included high maternal BMI, high birth weight, male gender, low birth rank, aged between 13-36 months, and living in the Grassfield area while being Muslim appeared as a protective factor. Preventive strategies should be strengthened especially in Grassfield areas and should focus on sensitization campaigns to reduce overweight and obesity in mothers and on reinforcement of measures such as surveillance of weight gain during antenatal consultation and clinical follow-up of children with high birth weight. Meanwhile, further studies including nutritional characteristics are of great interest to understand the association with religion, child age and ecological area in this age group, and will help in refining preventive strategies against childhood overweight and obesity in Cameroon

Abstracts reporting of HIV/AIDS randomized controlled trials in general medicine and infectious diseases journals: completeness to date and improvement in the quality since CONSORT extension for abstracts

Abstract Background Sufficiently detailed abstracts of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are important, because readers often base their assessment of a trial solely on information in the abstract. We aimed at comparing reporting quality of RCTs in HIV/AIDS medicine before and after the publication of the 2008 CONSORT extension for abstracts and to investigate factors associated with better reporting quality. Methods We searched PubMed/Medline for HIV/AIDS RCTs published between 2006–07 (Pre-CONSORT) and 2014–15 (Post-CONSORT) in 40 leading general medicine and infectious diseases journals. Two investigators extracted data and scored abstracts. The primary outcome was the adjusted mean number of items reported among the 17 required. Proportions of abstracts reporting each of 17 items were considered as secondary outcome. The adjustment was done for journal field, CONSORT endorsement, abstract format, type of intervention, journal impact factor and authorship. This study received no funding. Results The adjusted mean number of reported items was 7.2 (95 % CI 6.6–7.7) in pre-CONSORT (n = 159) and 7.8 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 7.3–8.4) in post-CONSORT (n = 153) (mean difference 0.7; 95 % CI 0.1–1.2). Journal high impact factor (adjusted incidence rate ratio 2.16; 95 % CI 1.83–2.54), abstract with 13 authors or more (1.39; 95 % CI 1.07–1.79) and non-pharmacological intervention (1.19; 95 % CI 1.03–1.37) were independent factors for better reporting quality. There were significant improvements in reporting on participants, randomization, outcome results, registration and funding; regression for author contact; and no change for other items: title, design, interventions, objective, primary outcome, blinding, number randomized, recruitment, number analyzed, harms and conclusions. Conclusions After the publication of the CONSORT extension for abstracts, the reporting quality of HIV/AIDS RCT abstracts in general medicine and infectious diseases journals has suboptimally improved. Thus, stricter adherence to the CONSORT for abstract are needed to improve the reporting quality of HIV/AIDS RCT abstracts

Cervical cancer prevention in countries with the highest HIV prevalence: a review of policies.

INTRODUCTION Cervical cancer (CC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs most frequently in women living with HIV (WLHIV) and is classified as an AIDS-defining illness. Recent World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations provide guidance for CC prevention policies, with specifications for WLHIV. We systematically reviewed policies for CC prevention and control in sub-Saharan countries with the highest HIV prevalence. METHODS We included countries with an HIV prevalence ≥ 10% in 2018 and policies published between January 1st 2010 and March 31st 2022. We searched Medline via PubMed, the international cancer control partnership website and national governmental websites of included countries for relevant policy documents. The online document search was supplemented with expert consultation for each included country. We synthesised aspects defined in policies for HPV vaccination, sex education, condom use, tobacco control, male circumcision,cervical screening, diagnosis and treatment of cervical pre-cancerous lesions and cancer, monitoring mechanisms and cost of services to women while highlighting specificities for WLHIV. RESULTS We reviewed 33 policy documents from nine countries. All included countries had policies on CC prevention and control either as a standalone policy (77.8%), or as part of a cancer or non-communicable diseases policy (22.2%) or both (66.7%). Aspects of HPV vaccination were reported in 7 (77.8%) of the 9 countries. All countries (100%) planned to develop or review Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for CC prevention including condom use and tobacco control. Age at screening commencement and screening intervals for WLHIV varied across countries. The most common recommended screening and treatment methods were visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) (88.9%), Pap smear (77.8%); cryotherapy (100%) and loop electrosurgical procedure (LEEP) (88.9%) respectively. Global indicators disaggregated by HIV status for monitoring CC programs were rarely reported. CC prevention and care policies included service costs at various stages in three countries (33.3%). CONCLUSION Considerable progress has been made in policy development for CC prevention and control in sub Saharan Africa. However, in countries with a high HIV burden, there is need to tailor these policies to respond to the specific needs of WLHIV. Countries may consider updating policies using the recent WHO guidelines for CC prevention, while adapting them to context realities

Cervical cancer prevention and care in HIV clinics across sub-Saharan Africa: results of a facility-based survey.

INTRODUCTION To eliminate cervical cancer (CC), access to and quality of prevention and care services must be monitored, particularly for women living with HIV (WLHIV). We assessed implementation practices in HIV clinics across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to identify gaps in the care cascade and used aggregated patient data to populate cascades for WLHIV attending HIV clinics. METHODS Our facility-based survey was administered between November 2020 and July 2021 in 30 HIV clinics across SSA that participate in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We performed a qualitative site-level assessment of CC prevention and care services and analysed data from routine care of WLHIV in SSA. RESULTS Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was offered in 33% of sites. Referral for CC diagnosis (42%) and treatment (70%) was common, but not free at about 50% of sites. Most sites had electronic health information systems (90%), but data to inform indicators to monitor global targets for CC elimination in WLHIV were not routinely collected in these sites. Data were collected routinely in only 36% of sites that offered HPV vaccination, 33% of sites that offered cervical screening and 20% of sites that offered pre-cancer and CC treatment. CONCLUSIONS Though CC prevention and care services have long been available in some HIV clinics across SSA, patient and programme monitoring need to be improved. Countries should consider leveraging their existing health information systems and use monitoring tools provided by the World Health Organization to improve CC prevention programmes and access, and to track their progress towards the goal of eliminating CC

Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the global HIV-infected population: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract Background Evidence suggests a relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the high burden of COPD and the HIV disease is clearly demonstrated, to the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of summary and meta-analysis data on the epidemiology of COPD in the global HIV-infected population to date. The present protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis intends to summarize existing data on the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of COPD in the global HIV-infected population. Methods and design The present review will include cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies conducted among HIV infected people, which report prevalence, incidence, and factors associated with COPD or enough data for their estimation. We will consider published and unpublished studies in English and French language, regardless of geographical location. Relevant records will be searched using PubMed/Medline, and Scopus from inception to December 31st, 2016. Reference lists of eligible papers and relevant review articles will be screened. Two investigators will independently screen, select studies, and extract data, with discrepancies resolved by consensus or arbitrarily by a third investigator. Risk of bias and methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Funnel-plots and Egger’s test will be used to determine publication bias. The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate. To keep the effect of studies with extremely small or extremely large estimates on the overall estimate to a minimum, the variance of the study-specific prevalence/incidence will be stabilized with the Freeman-Tukey single arc-sine transformation. The heterogeneity will be evaluated by the χ2 test on Cochrane’s Q statistic. Results will be presented by geographic region and by antiretroviral therapy status. We plan to summarize data on factors associated with COPD in narrative format. Discussion This systematic review and meta-analysis will give an overview of the epidemiology of COPD in the global HIV population to inform policy-makers and to provide accurate data that can underpin effective interventions for optimizing their detection and management. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42016052639

Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the global population with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: In recent years, the concept has been raised that people with HIV are at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because of HIV infection. However, much remains to be understood about the relationship between COPD and HIV infection. We aimed to investigate this association by assessing studies that reported the prevalence of COPD in the global population with HIV. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed observational studies of COPD in people with HIV. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Global Index Medicus, with no language restriction, to identify articles published until June 21, 2017, and we searched the reference lists of the retrieved articles. Eligible studies reported the prevalence of COPD or had enough data to compute these estimates. We excluded studies in subgroups of participants selected on the basis of the presence of COPD; studies that were limited to other specific groups or populations, such as people with other chronic respiratory diseases; and case series, letters, reviews, commentaries, editorials, and studies without primary data or an explicit description of methods. The main outcome assessed was prevalence of COPD. Each study was independently reviewed for methodological quality. We used a random-effects model to pool individual studies and assessed heterogeneity (I2) using the χ2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016052639. Findings: Of 4036 studies identified, we included 30 studies (151 686 participants) from all WHO regions in the meta-analysis of COPD prevalence. 23 studies (77%) had low risk of bias, six (20%) had moderate risk of bias, and one (3%) had high risk of bias in their methodological quality. The overall prevalence of COPD was 10·5% (95% CI 6·2–15·7; I2=97·2%; six studies) according to the lower limit of normal definition of COPD, and 10·6% (6·9–15·0; 94·7%; 16 studies) according to the fixed-ratio definition. COPD prevalence was higher in Europe and among current and ever smokers, and increased with level of income and proportion of participants with detectable HIV viral load. Prevalence of COPD was significantly higher in patients with HIV than in HIV-negative controls (pooled odds ratio 1·14, 95% CI 1·05–1·25, I2=63·5%; 11 studies), even after adjustment for tobacco consumption (2·58, 1·05–6·35, 74·9%; four studies). Interpretation: Our findings suggest a high prevalence of COPD in the global population with HIV, and an association with HIV. As such, COPD deserves more attention from HIV health-care providers, researchers, policy makers, and stakeholders for improved detection, overall proper management, and efficient control of COPD in people with HIV. Efforts to address this burden should focus on promoting the decrease of tobacco consumption and adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy to reduce viral load. Funding: None

Prevalence and incidence of major depressive disorders among people living with HIV residing in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Background: Depression represents one of the most frequent neuro-psychiatric diseases; it seems to be more prevalent in people living with HIV compared to the general population. However, summarized data in the African setting on the topic are scarce. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at assessing the prevalence and incidence of major depressive disorders (MDD) in HIV-infected African populations residing in Africa. Methods and design This review will include observational studies conducted among HIV-infected people residing in Africa, which have reported either the prevalence or incidence of MDD or enough data for its appraisal. Relevant records will be searched using PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, African Journals Online, and Africa Index Medicus. In addition, reference lists of eligible papers and relevant review articles will be screened. Published studies from inception Jan 1, 2000 to Dec 31, 2017 will be considered regardless of language of publication. Two review authors will independently screen, select studies, and extract data, with discrepancies resolved by consensus or arbitration by a third review author. Methodological quality of included studies will be assessed using the scale developed by Hoy and colleagues. Funnel-plots and Egger’s test will be used to determine publication bias. The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate. The heterogeneity will be evaluated by the χ2 test on Cochrane’s Q statistic. Results will be presented by geographical region and antiretroviral therapy status. Discussion This study is based on published data; therefore, ethical approval is not a requirement. The final report of this study in the form of a scientific paper will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences. This review will help to have an overview of the burden of MDD among HIV-infected people residing in Africa. Systematic review registration PROSPERO, CRD42017058118. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13643-018-0672-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Mother and Household characteristics among overweight, obese and thin children aged 6 to 59 months, Cameroon, 2011.

<p>Mother and Household characteristics among overweight, obese and thin children aged 6 to 59 months, Cameroon, 2011.</p

National distribution of prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among children aged 6 to 59 months, according to ecological areas, Cameroon, 2011.

<p>National distribution of prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among children aged 6 to 59 months, according to ecological areas, Cameroon, 2011.</p