Mapping Inequities in Digital Health Technology Within the World Health Organization's European Region Using PROGRESS PLUS: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The use of digital technologies within health care rapidly increased as services transferred to web-based platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequalities in digital health across the domains of equity are not routinely examined; yet, the long-term integration of digitally delivered services needs to consider such inequalities to ensure equitable benefits. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to map inequities in access, use, and engagement with digital health technologies across equity domains. METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases (MEDLINE, ASSIA, PsycINFO, and Scopus) for quantitative and mixed methods reviews and meta-analyses published between January 2016 and May 2022. Reviews were limited to those that included studies from the World Health Organization's European region. Extracted data were mapped against Cochrane's PROGRESS PLUS (place of residence, race, ethnicity, culture, and language, occupation, gender and sex, religion, education, socioeconomic status, social capital, and other characteristics) dimensions of equity. RESULTS: In total, 404 unique citations were identified from the searches, and 2 citations were identified from other sources. After eligibility assessment, 22 reviews were included. Consistent evidence was found showing higher access to digital health technologies among patients who were of White ethnicity, were English speaking, and had no disability. There were no reviews that explored differences in access to digital health care by age, gender and sex, occupation, education, or homeless or substance misuse. Higher use of digital health technologies was observed among populations that were White, English speaking, younger, with a higher level of education, of higher economic status, and residents in urban areas. No clear evidence of differences in the use of digital technologies by occupation, gender and sex, disability, or homeless or substance misuse was found, nor was clear evidence found in the included reviews on inequalities in the engagement with digital technologies. Finally, no reviews were identified that explored differences by place of residence. CONCLUSIONS: Despite awareness of the potential impact of inequalities in digital health, there are important evidence gaps across multiple equity domains. The development of a common framework for evaluating digital health equity in new health initiatives and consistency in reporting findings is needed.

Cooking outdoors or with cleaner fuels does not increase malarial risk in children under 5 years: a cross-sectional study of 17 sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Smoke from solid biomass cooking is often stated to reduce household mosquito levels and, therefore, malarial transmission. However, household air pollution (HAP) from solid biomass cooking is estimated to be responsible for 1.67 times more deaths in children aged under 5 years compared to malaria globally. This cross-sectional study investigates the association between malaria and (i) cleaner fuel usage; (ii) wood compared to charcoal fuel; and, (iii) household cooking location, among children aged under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: Population-based data was obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 85,263 children within 17 malaria-endemic sub-Saharan countries who were who were tested for malaria with a malarial rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or microscopy. To assess the independent association between malarial diagnosis (positive, negative), fuel type and cooking location (outdoor, indoor, attached to house), multivariable logistic regression was used, controlling for individual, household and contextual confounding factors. RESULTS: Household use of solid biomass fuels and kerosene cooking fuels was associated with a 57% increase in the odds ratio of malarial infection after adjusting for confounding factors (RDT adjusted odds ratio (AOR):1.57 [1.30-1.91]; Microscopy AOR: 1.58 [1.23-2.04]) compared to cooking with cleaner fuels. A similar effect was observed when comparing wood to charcoal among solid biomass fuel users (RDT AOR: 1.77 [1.54-2.04]; Microscopy AOR: 1.21 [1.08-1.37]). Cooking in a separate building was associated with a 26% reduction in the odds of malarial infection (RDT AOR: 0.74 [0.66-0.83]; Microscopy AOR: 0.75 [0.67-0.84]) compared to indoor cooking; however no association was observed with outdoor cooking. Similar effects were observed within a sub-analysis of malarial mesoendemic areas only. CONCLUSION: Cleaner fuels and outdoor cooking practices associated with reduced smoke exposure were not observed to have an adverse effect upon malarial infection among children under 5 years in SSA. Further mixed-methods research will be required to further strengthen the evidence base concerning this risk paradigm and to support appropriate public health messaging in this context.

Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Interventions to reduce household air pollution (HAP) are key to reducing associated morbidity and mortality in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs); especially among pregnant women and young children. This systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of interventions aimed to reduce HAP exposure associated with domestic solid biomass fuel combustion, compared to usual cooking practices, for improving health outcomes in pregnant women and children under five in LMIC settings. A systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken with searches undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, GIM, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Greenfile in August 2020. Inclusion criteria were experimental, non-experimental, or quasi-experimental studies investigating the impact of interventions to reduce HAP exposure and improve associated health outcomes among pregnant women or children under 5 years. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool were undertaken independently by two reviewers. Seventeen out of 7293 retrieved articles (seven pregnancy, nine child health outcome; 13 studies) met the inclusion criteria. These assessed improved cookstoves (ICS; n = 10 studies), ethanol stoves (n = 1 study), and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG; n = 2 studies) stoves interventions. Meta-analysis showed no significant effect of ICS interventions compared to traditional cooking for risk of preterm birth (n = 2 studies), small for gestational age (n = 2 studies), and incidence of acute respiratory infections (n = 6 studies). Although an observed increase in mean birthweight was observed, this was not statistically significant (n = 4). However, ICS interventions reduced the incidence of childhood burns (n = 3; observations = 41 723; Rate Ratio: 0.66 [95% CI: 0.45-0.96]; I2 : 46.7%) and risk of low birth weight (LBW; n = 4; observations = 3456; Odds Ratio: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.61-0.87]; I2 : 21.1%). Although few studies reported health outcomes, the data indicate that ICS interventions were associated with reduced risk of childhood burns and LBW. The data highlight the need for the development and implementation of robust, well-reported and monitored, community-driven intervention trials with longer-term participant follow-up.

Adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To estimate the point prevalence and likely ranges of pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight and preterm delivery in Latin America and the Caribbean, and evaluate the heterogeneity of the estimates. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies reporting the prevalence of maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes in populations in Latin American and the Caribbean published between 2000 and 2019 in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. We searched PubMed, Embase, and LILACS. We estimated the point prevalence and evaluated overall heterogeneity and, in sub-group analyses, heterogeneity by study design and level of bias. Results: Of 1087 records retrieved, 50 articles were included in the review: two on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, 14 on pre-eclampsia, six on gestational diabetes, nine on low birth weight and 19 on preterm birth. No meta-analysis for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy could be done because of the small number of studies. Point prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, and preterm birth were: 6.6% (95% CI: 4.9%, 8.6%), 8.5% (95% CI: 3.9%, 14.7%), 8.5% (95% CI: 7.2%, 9.8%), and 10.0% (95% CI: 8.0%, 12.0%), respectively. We observed substantial heterogeneity overall and by study design. No major differences in estimates were observed by level of bias. Conclusions: The results of this study provide updated estimates of some of the most prevalent adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean. They highlight that important heterogeneity exists in prevalence estimates, which may reflect the diversity of populations in the region.

Association between Wood and Other Biomass Fuels and Risk of Low Birthweight in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey Data.

In utero exposure to household air pollution (HAP) from polluting cooking fuels has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes including low birthweight (LBW). No previous study in Uganda has attempted to investigate the association between the different types of biomass cooking fuels and LBW. This study was conducted to investigate the association between wood and other biomass cooking fuel use with increased risk of LBW, using the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey for 15,270 live births within five years prior to interview. LBW, defined as birthweight of <2500 g, was estimated from maternal recall and health cards. Association between household exposure to the different solid biomass cooking fuels and LBW was determined using multivariable logistic regression. Biomass cooking fuels were used in 99.6% of the households, with few (0.3%) using cleaner fuels and 0.1% with no cooking, while the prevalence of LBW was 9.6% of all live-births. Although the crude analysis suggested an association between wood fuel use and LBW compared to other biomass and kerosene fuel use (AOR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.67−1.00), after adjusting for socio-demographic and obstetric factors, no association was observed (AOR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.72−1.22). LBW was significantly more likely among female neonates (AOR: 1.32 (95% CI: 1.13−1.55) and neonates born to mothers living in larger households (AOR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00−1.07). LBW was significantly less likely among neonates delivered at term (AOR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.31−0.49), born to women with secondary or tertiary level of education (AOR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.64−1.00), living in households with a higher wealth index (AOR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.50−0.96), Eastern (AOR: 0.76; 95% CI:0.59−0.98) and Northern (AOR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57−0.99) regions. The study findings suggest inconclusive evidence regarding the association between the use of wood compared to other biomass and kerosene cooking fuels and risk of LBW. Given the close observed association between socioeconomic status and LBW, the Ugandan government should prioritize public health actions which support female education and broader sustainable development to improve household living standards in this setting.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Association between Domestic Cooking Energy Source Type and Respiratory Infections among Children Aged under Five Years: Evidence from Demographic and Household Surveys in 37 Low-Middle Income Countries.

BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), household air pollution as a result of using solid biomass for cooking, lighting and heating (HAP) is associated with respiratory infections, accounting for approximately 4 million early deaths each year worldwide. The majority of deaths are among children under five years. This population-based cross-sectional study investigates the association between solid biomass usage and risk of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in 37 LMICs within Africa, Americas, Southeast Asia, European, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using population-based data obtained from Demographic and Health surveys (2010-2018), domestic cooking energy sources were classified solid biomass (wood, charcoal/dung, agricultural crop) and cleaner energy sources (e.g., Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), electricity, biogas and natural gas). Composite measures of ARI (shortness of breath, cough) and ALRI (shortness of breath, cough and fever) were composed using maternally reported respiratory symptoms over the two-week period prior to the interview. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the association between biomass fuel usage with ARI and ALRI, accounting for relevant individual, household and situational confounders, including stratification by context (urban/rural). RESULTS: After adjustment, in the pooled analysis, children residing in solid biomass cooking households had an observed increased adjusted odds ratio of ARI (AOR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09-1.25) and ALRI (AOR: 1.16; 95% CI 1.07-1.25) compared to cleaner energy sources. In stratified analyses, a comparable association was observed in urban areas (ARI: 1.16 [1.06-1.28]; ALRI: 1.14 [1.02-1.27]), but only significant for ARI among those living in rural areas (ARI: 1.14 [1.03-1.26]). CONCLUSION: Switching domestic cooking energy sources from solid biomass to cleaner alternatives would achieve a respiratory health benefit in children under five years worldwide. High quality mixed-methods research is required to improve acceptability and sustained uptake of clean cooking energy source interventions in LMIC settings.

Burn injury prevention in low- and middle- income countries: scoping systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and disability, with the burden of disease being disproportionately higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Burn prevention programmes have led to significant reductions in the incidence of burns in high-income countries. However, a previous systematic review published in 2015 highlighted that implementation and evaluation of similar programmes has been limited in LMIC. The objective of this scoping review and narrative synthesis was to summarise and understand the initiatives that have been carried out to reduce burn injuries in LMIC and their effectiveness. METHODS: We aimed to identify publications that described studies of effectiveness of burn prevention interventions applied to any population within a LMIC and measured burn incidence or burns-related outcomes. Suitable publications were identified from three sources. Firstly, data was extracted from manuscripts identified in the systematic review published by Rybarczyk et al. We then performed a search for manuscripts on burn prevention interventions published between January 2015 and September 2020. Finally, we extracted data from two systematic reviews where burn evidence was not the primary outcome, which were identified by senior authors. A quality assessment and narrative synthesis of included manuscripts were performed. RESULTS: In total, 24 manuscripts were identified and categorized according to intervention type. The majority of manuscripts (n = 16) described education-based interventions. Four manuscripts focused on environmental modification interventions and four adopted a mixed-methods approach. All of the education-based initiatives demonstrated improvements in knowledge relating to burn safety or first aid, however few measured the impact of their intervention on burn incidence. Four manuscripts described population-based educational interventions and noted reductions in burn incidence. Only one of the four manuscripts describing environmental modification interventions reported burns as a primary outcome measure, noting a reduction in burn incidence. All mixed-method interventions demonstrated some positive improvements in either burn incidence or burns-related safety practices. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of published literature describing large-scale burn prevention programmes in LMIC that can demonstrate sustained reductions in burn incidence. Population-level, collaborative projects are necessary to drive forward burn prevention through specific environmental or legislative changes and supplementary educational programmes.

Comparison of Respiratory Health Impacts Associated with Wood and Charcoal Biomass Fuels: A Population-Based Analysis of 475,000 Children from 30 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organisation reported that 45% of global acute respiratory infection (ARI) deaths in children under five years are attributable to household air pollution, which has been recognised to be strongly associated with solid biomass fuel usage in domestic settings. The introduction of legislative restrictions for charcoal production or purchase can result in unintended consequences, such as reversion to more polluting biomass fuels such as wood; which may increase health and environmental harms. However, there remains a paucity of evidence concerning the relative health risks between wood and charcoal. This study compares the risk of respiratory symptoms, ARI, and severe ARI among children aged under five years living in wood and charcoal fuel households across 30 low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: Data from children (N = 475,089) residing in wood or charcoal cooking households were extracted from multiple population-based Demographic and Health Survey databases (DHS) (N = 30 countries). Outcome measures were obtained from a maternal report of respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath and fever) occurring in the two weeks prior to the survey date, generating a composite measure of ARI (cough and shortness of breath) and severe ARI (cough, shortness of breath and fever). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were implemented, with adjustment at individual, household, regional and country level for relevant demographic, social, and health-related confounding factors. RESULTS: Increased odds ratios of fever (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02-1.12) were observed among children living in wood cooking households compared to the use of charcoal. However, no association was observed with shortness of breath (AOR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.96-1.10), cough (AOR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.95-1.04), ARI (AOR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.96-1.11) or severe ARI (AOR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.99-1.17). Within rural areas, only shortness of breath was observed to be associated with wood cooking (AOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01-1.15). However, an increased odds ratio of ARI was observed in Asian (AOR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.04-1.51) and East African countries (AOR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01-1.22) only. CONCLUSION: Our population-based observational data indicates that in Asia and East Africa there is a greater risk of ARI among children aged under 5 years living in wood compared to charcoal cooking households. These findings have major implications for understanding the existing health impacts of wood-based biomass fuel usage and may be of relevance to settings where charcoal fuel restrictions are under consideration.

Investigating Cooking Activity Patterns and Perceptions of Air Quality Interventions among Women in Urban Rwanda.

Household air pollution (HAP) from biomass cooking with traditional stoves is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide. Air quality interventions such as improved cookstoves (ICS) may mitigate HAP-related impacts; however, poor understanding of contextual socio-cultural factors such as local cooking practices have limited their widespread adoption. Policymakers and stakeholders require an understanding of local cooking practices to inform effective HAP interventions which meet end-user needs. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 36 women residing in biomass-cooking fuel households in Kigali, Rwanda to identify cooking activity patterns, awareness of HAP-related health risks and ICS intervention preferences. Overall, 94% of respondents exclusively used charcoal cooking fuel and 53% cooked one meal each day (range = 1-3 meals). Women were significantly more likely to cook outdoors compared to indoors (64% vs. 36%; p < 0.05). Over half of respondents (53%) were unaware of HAP-related health risks and 64% had no prior awareness of ICS. Participants expressed preferences for stove mobility (89%) and facility for multiple pans (53%) within an ICS intervention. Our findings highlight the need for HAP interventions to be flexible to suit a range of cooking patterns and preferred features for end-users in this context.

Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: A variety of public health interventions have been undertaken in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with household air pollution (HAP) due to cooking, heating and lighting with solid biomass fuels. Pregnant women and children under five are particularly vulnerable to the effects of HAP, due to biological susceptibility and typically higher exposure levels. However, the relative health benefits of interventions to reduce HAP exposure among these groups remain unclear. This systematic review aims to assess, among pregnant women, infants and children (under 5 years) in LMIC settings, the effectiveness of interventions which aim to reduce household air pollutant emissions due to household solid biomass fuel combustion, compared to usual cooking practices, in terms of health outcomes associated with HAP exposure. METHODS: This protocol follows standard systematic review processes and abides by the PRISMA-P reporting guidelines. Searches will be undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), The Global Index Medicus (GIM), ClinicalTrials.gov and Greenfile, combining terms for pregnant women and children with interventions or policy approaches to reduce HAP from biomass fuels or HAP terms and LMIC countries. Included studies will be those reporting (i) pregnant women and children under 5 years; (ii) fuel transition, structural, educational or policy interventions; and (iii) health events associated with HAP exposure which occur among pregnant women or among children within the perinatal period, infancy and up to 5 years of age. A narrative synthesis will be undertaken for each population-intervention-outcome triad stratified by study design. Clinical and methodological homogeneity within each triad will be used to determine the feasibility for undertaking meta-analyses to give a summary estimate of the effect for each outcome. DISCUSSION: This systematic review will identify the effectiveness of existing HAP intervention measures in LMIC contexts, with discussion on the context of implementation and adoption, and summarise current literature of relevance to maternal and child health. This assessment reflects the need for HAP interventions which achieve measurable health benefits, which would need to be supported by policies that are socially and economically acceptable in LMIC settings worldwide. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020164998.

Investigating the Association between Wood and Charcoal Domestic Cooking, Respiratory Symptoms and Acute Respiratory Infections among Children Aged Under 5 Years in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: Household air pollution associated with biomass (wood, dung, charcoal, and crop residue) burning for cooking is estimated to contribute to approximately 4 million deaths each year worldwide, with the greatest burden seen in low and middle-income countries. We investigated the relationship between solid fuel type and respiratory symptoms in Uganda, where 96% of households use biomass as the primary domestic fuel. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study of 15,405 pre-school aged children living in charcoal or wood-burning households in Uganda, using data from the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associations between occurrence of a cough, shortness of breath, fever, acute respiratory infection (ARI) and severe ARI with cooking fuel type (wood, charcoal); with additional sub-analyses by contextual status (urban, rural). Results: After adjustment for household and individual level confounding factors, wood fuel use was associated with increased risk of shortness of breath (AOR: 1.33 [1.10-1.60]), fever (AOR: 1.26 [1.08-1.48]), cough (AOR: 1.15 [1.00-1.33]), ARI (AOR: 1.36 [1.11-1.66] and severe ARI (AOR: 1.41 [1.09-1.85]), compared to charcoal fuel. In urban areas, Shortness of breath (AOR: 1.84 [1.20-2.83]), ARI (AOR: 1.77 [1.10-2.79]) and in rural areas ARI (AOR: 1.23 [1.03-1.47]) and risk of fever (AOR: 1.23 [1.03-1.47]) were associated with wood fuel usage. Conclusions: Risk of respiratory symptoms was higher among children living in wood compared to charcoal fuel-burning households, with policy implications for mitigation of associated harmful health impacts.

Adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review and meta-analysis / Resultados adversos perinatales y del embarazo en América Latina y el Caribe: revisión sistemática y metanálisis / Desfechos gestacionais e perinatais adversos na América Latina e no Caribe: revisão sistemática e metanálise

ABSTRACT Objective. To estimate the point prevalence and likely ranges of pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight and preterm delivery in Latin America and the Caribbean, and evaluate the heterogeneity of the estimates. Methods. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies reporting the prevalence of maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes in populations in Latin American and the Caribbean published between 2000 and 2019 in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. We searched PubMed, Embase, and LILACS. We estimated the point prevalence and evaluated overall heterogeneity and, in sub-group analyses, heterogeneity by study design and level of bias. Results. Of 1087 records retrieved, 50 articles were included in the review: two on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, 14 on pre-eclampsia, six on gestational diabetes, nine on low birth weight and 19 on preterm birth. No meta-analysis for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy could be done because of the small number of studies. Point prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, and preterm birth were: 6.6% (95% CI: 4.9%, 8.6%), 8.5% (95% CI: 3.9%, 14.7%), 8.5% (95% CI: 7.2%, 9.8%), and 10.0% (95% CI: 8.0%, 12.0%), respectively. We observed substantial heterogeneity overall and by study design. No major differences in estimates were observed by level of bias. Conclusions. The results of this study provide updated estimates of some of the most prevalent adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean. They highlight that important heterogeneity exists in prevalence estimates, which may reflect the diversity of populations in the region.

RESUMEN Objetivo. Estimar la prevalencia puntual y los rangos probables de hipertensión provocada por embarazo, preeclampsia, diabetes gestacional, peso bajo al nacer y parto prematuro en América Latina y el Caribe, y evaluar la heterogeneidad de las estimaciones. Métodos. Se llevó a cabo una revisión sistemática y metanálisis de los estudios de observación que notificaron la prevalencia de resultados adversos perinatales y maternos en poblaciones de América Latina y el Caribe, publicados entre los años 2000 y 2019 en inglés, español o portugués. Se realizaron búsquedas en PubMed, Embase y LILACS. Se estimó la prevalencia puntual y se evaluó la heterogeneidad general y, en los análisis de subgrupos, la heterogeneidad según el diseño del estudio y nivel de sesgo. Resultados. De 1 087 registros recuperados, se incluyeron 50 artículos en la revisión: 2 sobre los trastornos hipertensivos en el embarazo, 14 sobre preeclampsia, 6 sobre la diabetes gestacional, 9 sobre peso bajo al nacer y 19 sobre parto prematuro. No se pudo realizar ningún metanálisis de los trastornos hipertensivos del embarazo debido al número reducido de estudios. Las estimaciones de prevalencia puntual y los intervalos de confianza (IC) del 95% para la preeclampsia, la diabetes gestacional, el peso bajo al nacer y el parto prematuro fueron: 6,6% (IC de 95%: 4,9%, 8,6%), 8,5% (IC de 95%: 3,9%, 14,7%), 8,5% (IC de 95%: 7,2%, 9,8%) y 10,0% (IC de 95%: 8,0%, 12,0%), respectivamente. Se observó una heterogeneidad significativa en general, así como según el diseño del estudio. No se advirtieron grandes diferencias en las estimaciones según el nivel del sesgo. Conclusiones. Los resultados de este estudio ofrecen cálculos actualizados de algunos de los resultados adversos perinatales y del embarazo con mayor prevalencia en América Latina y el Caribe. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto que existe una gran heterogeneidad en las estimaciones de prevalencia, que podría reflejar la diversidad de la población de la región.

RESUMO Objetivo. Estimar a prevalência pontual e os intervalos prováveis de hipertensão induzida pela gravidez, pré-eclâmpsia, diabetes gestacional, baixo peso ao nascer e parto prematuro na América Latina e no Caribe e avaliar a heterogeneidade das estimativas. Métodos. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática com metanálise de estudos observacionais que relatam a prevalência de desfechos maternos e perinatais adversos em populações da América Latina e do Caribe, publicados entre 2000 e 2019 em inglês, espanhol ou português. Os bancos de dados PubMed, Embase e LILACS foram pesquisados. Estimou-se a prevalência pontual e avaliou-se a heterogeneidade geral, bem como, em análises de subgrupo, a heterogeneidade por delineamento do estudo e o nível de viés. Resultados. De 1 087 registros encontrados, 50 artigos foram incluídos na revisão: dois sobre distúrbios hipertensivos da gravidez, 14 sobre pré-eclâmpsia, seis sobre diabetes gestacional, nove sobre baixo peso ao nascer e 19 sobre parto prematuro. Não foi possível realizar metanálise para distúrbios hipertensivos da gravidez devido ao pequeno número de estudos. As estimativas de prevalência pontual e intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC) para pré-eclâmpsia, diabetes gestacional, baixo peso ao nascer e parto prematuro foram: 6,6%; (IC 95%: 4,9-8,6%), 8,5% (IC 95%: 3,9-14,7%), 8,5% (IC 95%: 7,2-9,8%) e 10,0% (IC 95%: 8,0-12,0%), respectivamente. Observou-se heterogeneidade considerável, tanto em geral como por delineamento de estudo. Não foram observadas diferenças importantes nas estimativas por nível de viés. Conclusões. Os resultados deste estudo fornecem estimativas atualizadas de alguns dos desfechos gestacionais e perinatais adversos mais prevalentes na América Latina e no Caribe. Destacam a existência de uma importante heterogeneidade nas estimativas de prevalência, o que pode refletir a diversidade das populações da região.