Prevalence and Risk Factors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children under 5 Years of Age in the WHO European Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Suleiman Martos, Nora; Caballero Vázquez, Alberto; Gómez Urquiza, Jose Luis; Albendín García, Luis; Romero Béjar, José Luis; Cañadas De La Fuente, Guillermo ArturoEditorial
MDPI
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Respiratory syncytial virus Risk factors Prevalence Children Epidemiology Meta-analysis
Date
2021Referencia bibliográfica
Suleiman-Martos, N.; Caballero-Vázquez, A.; Gómez-Urquiza, J.L.; Albendín-García, L.; Romero-Béjar, J.L.; Cañadas-De la Fuente, G.A. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children under 5 Years of Age in the WHO European Region: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11, 416. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/jpm11050416
Abstract
A respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of respiratory tract infection in
children under 5 years. However, RSV infection in the European Region of the World Health
Organization has not been systematically reviewed. The aim was to determine the prevalence and
factors associated with RSV in children under 5 years of age in European regions. A systematic
review and meta-analysis was performed. CINAHL, Medline, LILACS, ProQuest, SciELO, and
Scopus databases were consulted for studies published in the last 5 years, following Preferred
Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. The search equation was
“respiratory syncytial virus AND (newborn OR infant OR child) AND (prevalence OR risk factors)”.
Studies reporting the prevalence of RSV were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. A total
of 20 articles were included. The meta-analytic prevalence estimation of RSV, with a sample of
n = 16,115 children, was 46% (95% CI 34–59%). The main risk factors were age, male gender,
winter season, and environmental factors such as cold temperatures, higher relative humidity, high
concentrations of benzene, exposure to tobacco, and living in urban areas. Robust age-specific
estimates of RSV infection in healthy children should be promoted in order to determine the optimal
age for immunization. In addition, it is necessary to analyse in greater depth the potentially predictive
factors of RSV infection, to be included in prevention strategies.