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ABSTRACT
Purpose
To review and summarize information on meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) epidemiology in Africa.
Methods
A systematic search of online databases was conducted for literature/studies on MGD in Africa. Meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of MGD in Africa. Meta-regression was used to explore sources of heterogeneity.
Results
Twelve studies conducted in five countries were included in the review. All studies were hospital-based studies. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis; the total sample size was 4963 and participants’ age range was 17–96 years. The overall prevalence estimate of MGD in Africa was 45.9% (95% CI: 27.6–64.1%). Prevalence of MGD among males and females were each pooled from three studies and in urban and rural setting from 6 and 3 studies, respectively. Prevalence of MGD among males and females were 56.0% (95% CI: 22.4–89.5%) and 58.9% (95% CI: 28.5–89.4%) respectively; in urban and rural settings were 42.8% (95% CI: 21.1–64.5%) and 65.7% (95% CI: 25.7–95.7%), respectively. There was no association of MGD with sex (p = .872) and with study setting (p = .231).
Conclusion
There is a paucity of evidence on MGD prevalence in Africa, emphasizing the need for epidemiological studies to enhance our understanding of region-specific differences in MGD in Africa. The pooled estimate from hospital-based studies, however, suggests a substantial MGD burden in Africa. Epidemiological studies are needed to assess if this translates to a high disease burden within the general African population.
Proprietary interests or conflicts of interest
None of the following authors have any proprietary interests or conflicts of interest related to this submission: None of the authors
This submission has not been published anywhere previously and it is not simultaneously being considered for publication in any other journal.
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.