Preventive interventions to reduce the burden of rheumatic heart disease in populations at risk : a systematic review protocol

• Background: Rheumatic heart disease is preventable, yet associated with significant health burden, mostly in low-resourced settings. It is prevalent among children and young adults living in impoverished areas. Primordial, primary, and secondary preventive measures have been recommended through health interventions and comprehensive programmes, although most implemented interventions are the high-resourced settings. The proposed review aims to synthesise the evidence of prevention effectiveness of implemented health interventions for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease.Methods and design: This article describes a protocol for a systematic review. A predefined search strategy will be used to search for relevant literature published from the year 2000 to present. Electronic databases Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched for the studies, as well as reference lists of relevant studies included. Risk of bias and quality appraisal will be done for the included studies using ROBINS-I tool and Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised control trials. Findings will be analysed in subgroups based on the level of intervention and prevention strategy implemented. We will present the findings in descriptive formats with tables and flow diagrams.Discussion: This review will provide evidence on the prevention effectiveness of interventions or strategies implemented for the prevention of RHD. The findings of this will be significant for policy, practice, and research in countries planning to implement interventions.Registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42020170503.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Acute Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Intervention

Prevention

Systematic Review

Public health

folkhälsa

cardiovascular disease

hjärt- och kärlforskning

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)