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Effects of armed conflict on child health and development: A systematic review
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 14, Iss 1, p e0210071 (2019), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2019.
-
Abstract
- BackgroundArmed conflicts affect more than one in 10 children globally. While there is a large literature on mental health, the effects of armed conflict on children's physical health and development are not well understood. This systematic review summarizes the current and past knowledge on the effects of armed conflict on child health and development.MethodsA systematic review was performed with searches in major and regional databases for papers published 1 January 1945 to 25 April 2017. Included studies provided data on physical and/or developmental outcomes associated with armed conflict in children under 18 years. Data were extracted on health outcomes, displacement, social isolation, experience of violence, orphan status, and access to basic needs. The review is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42017036425.FindingsAmong 17,679 publications screened, 155 were eligible for inclusion. Nearly half of the 131 quantitative studies were case reports, chart or registry reviews, and one-third were cross-sectional studies. Additionally, 18 qualitative and 6 mixed-methods studies were included. The papers describe mortality, injuries, illnesses, environmental exposures, limitations in access to health care and education, and the experience of violence, including torture and sexual violence. Studies also described conflict-related social changes affecting child health. The geographical coverage of the literature is limited. Data on the effects of conflict on child development are scarce.InterpretationThe available data document the pervasive effect of conflict as a form of violence against children and a negative social determinant of child health. There is an urgent need for research on the mechanisms by which conflict affects child health and development and the relationship between physical health, mental health, and social conditions. Particular priority should be given to studies on child development, the long term effects of exposure to conflict, and protective and mitigating factors against the harmful effects of armed conflict on children.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Critical Care and Emergency Medicine
Death Rates
Political Science
Science
Social Sciences
Poison control
Pediatrics
Suicide prevention
Occupational safety and health
Education
Families
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Population Metrics
Sociology
030225 pediatrics
Health care
Injury prevention
Medicine and Health Sciences
medicine
Public and Occupational Health
030212 general & internal medicine
Psychiatry
Children
Trauma Medicine
Schools
Multidisciplinary
Sexual violence
Population Biology
business.industry
Child Health
Biology and Life Sciences
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Mental health
Child development
Head Injury
Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi
Age Groups
People and Places
Medicine
Population Groupings
business
Psychology
Traumatic Injury
War and Civil Unrest
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 14
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLOS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9a66e443cd61f0c5fe4da25f277d785b