Gender equity in pediatric surgical care in Central and South Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Resumo original em inglês

O que aconteceu

We assessed gender based access to pediatric surgical care in Central and South Asia (CSA) by reviewing published clinical studies.

A PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis of 99 pediatric surgical studies from CSA (2004-2023) included 10,508 children. Nineteen conditions grouped as acquired, congenital, or tumor related. After adjusting for minor sex based incidence differences using global and regional rates, we compared adjusted sex distributions with those in high-income countries.

O que encontraram

Boys were overrepresented in acquired conditions compared with high-income country M:F ratios, including appendicitis (2:1 vs 1.4:1, p 0.05), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (2.6:1 vs 1.5:1, p 0.05). Meta-analysis confirmed strongest boys' predominance in acquired conditions (n = 3465; log OR 0.75, 95 % CI 0.66-0.84), followed by congenital (n = 2780; log OR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.35-0.50). Tumors showed no significant overall difference (n = 1234; log OR 0.10, p = 0.13). Adjusting for regional sex ratio at birth reduced odds ratios by only 5-6%.

Por que isso importa

A significant boys' predominance in pediatric surgical care in CSA was identified. This potential healthcare inequity warrants further investigation and action.

Resumo publicado sob licença CC BY. A tradução para o português ainda não chegou a este estudo.