article · BMJ Open
This protocol outlines the methodology for a planned systematic review and meta-analysis of infant and young child feeding practices in Ethiopia. Proper infant and young child feeding is essential for child survival, growth, and long-term national development. Despite the significance of optimal nutrition in low- and middle-income nations, no national-level review on this topic had yet been undertaken in Ethiopia. The planned project aims to estimate national coverage and pinpoint factors associated with key practices, including the timely initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, and the timely introduction of complementary feeding. Researchers will search major health databases and grey literature for studies published between 2000 and 2017. Standard statistical tests will evaluate heterogeneity and publication bias, and study quality will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to generate pooled national prevalence estimates.
Proper nutrition during early childhood is critical for survival and long-term human development. By mapping national feeding practices and identifying the factors that influence them, this review methodology aims to provide consolidated evidence. Such evidence can help healthcare planners, policymakers, and public health agencies address gaps in infant nutrition across Ethiopia.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it describes a research protocol for an academic systematic review without proprietary technologies or commercial outputs.
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Introduction Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) is the cornerstone of infant and child survival, healthy growth and development, healthy future generations and national development. In spite of the importance of optimal nutrition in low- and middle-income countries, there has been no review conducted in Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the national coverage and identify the associated factors of IYCF practices in Ethiopia. Methods PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINHAL, EBSCO, Web of Science and WHO Global Health Library databases will be searched for all available publications from 1 January 2000 to 30 September 2017. All published studies on the timely initiation of breast feeding, exclusive breast feeding and timely initiation of complementary feeding practice in Ethiopia will be screened, selected and reviewed. Bibliographies of identified articles and grey literature will be hand-searched as well. Heterogeneity of studies will be quantified using Higgins's method where I 2 statistic >80% indicates substantial heterogeneity. Funnel plots and Egger's regression test will be used to assess potential publication bias. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) will be used to assess the quality of evidence and risk of bias. Meta-analysis and meta-regression will be carried out to estimate the pooled national prevalence rate and an OR of each associated factor of IYCF practices. Narrative synthesis will be performed if meta-analysis is not feasible due to the substantial heterogeneity of studies. Ethics and dissemination Ethical clearance is not required for this study because primary data will not be collected. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at an (inter)national research symposium. Systematic review registration This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number CRD42017056768.
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DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017437
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