Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Malnourished Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2017-2025)
- 1Addis Ababa University
Abstract
BackgroundTuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), remains a leading global public health challenge. Malnutrition is a major, modifiable driver of this vulnerability to the disease, creating a lethal, bidirectional link with TB. This s review aims to synthesize available evidence to estimate the pooled prevalence of TB and identify associated factors among malnourished children in Ethiopia, providing critical data to guide targeted, integrated public health interventions.
MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on studies reporting the prevalence of TB and associated factors among malnourished children in Ethiopia. Electronic databases including PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Academic Search Complete, and Google Scholar were searched. In addition, bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed, and a search for relevant conference abstracts was performed. Eligible studies were those published in peer-reviewed journals that specifically addressed TB prevalence among malnourished children. A random-effects model was employed to estimate the pooled prevalence of TB and its associated factors.
ResultsA total of 746 studies were initially identified through database and catalog searches. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 12 studies were included in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. These studies, published between 2017 and 2024, collectively involved 5,749 participants. The smallest sample size (133) was reported in a study from the Oromia region, while the largest (1,201) was from the Amhara region. The pooled prevalence of TB among malnourished children was estimated at 16%. The highest prevalence (95%) was reported in a study conducted in Addis Ababa, while the lowest (6%) was from Harar. Considerable variation in prevalence was noted across the included studies.
ConclusionThis review resulted in the substantial prevalence of TB among malnourished children in Ethiopia, with a pooled prevalence of 16%. This finding highlights the urgent need for integrated healthcare interventions targeting both TB and malnutrition
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BibTeX
@misc{seremolo2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Malnourished Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2017-2025)}},
author = {B. S. Seremolo and N. Y. Woldeamanuele and H. Mamo},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.21.26363606},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.21.26363606v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Malnourished Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2017-2025)
AU - B. S. Seremolo
AU - N. Y. Woldeamanuele
AU - H. Mamo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.21.26363606
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.21.26363606v1
AB - BackgroundTuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), remains a leading global public health challenge. Malnutrition is a major, modifiable driver of this vulnerability to the disease, creating a lethal, bidirectional link with TB. This s review aims to synthesize available evidence to estimate the pooled prevalence of TB and identify associated factors among malnourished children in Ethiopia, providing critical data to guide targeted, integrated public health interventions. MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on studies reporting the prevalence of TB and associated factors among malnourished children in Ethiopia. Electronic databases including PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Academic Search Complete, and Google Scholar were searched. In addition, bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed, and a search for relevant conference abstracts was performed. Eligible studies were those published in peer-reviewed journals that specifically addressed TB prevalence among malnourished children. A random-effects model was employed to estimate the pooled prevalence of TB and its associated factors. ResultsA total of 746 studies were initially identified through database and catalog searches. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 12 studies were included in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. These studies, published between 2017 and 2024, collectively involved 5,749 participants. The smallest sample size (133) was reported in a study from the Oromia region, while the largest (1,201) was from the Amhara region. The pooled prevalence of TB among malnourished children was estimated at 16%. The highest prevalence (95%) was reported in a study conducted in Addis Ababa, while the lowest (6%) was from Harar. Considerable variation in prevalence was noted across the included studies. ConclusionThis review resulted in the substantial prevalence of TB among malnourished children in Ethiopia, with a pooled prevalence of 16%. This finding highlights the urgent need for integrated healthcare interventions targeting both TB and malnutrition
ER -