Nutritional status among earthquake survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Earthquakes, as one of the most devastating natural disasters, have many consequences, including the collapse of buildings where food is produced, stored, and distributed, which can ensue with numerous nutritional problems. This study was to investigate the nutritional status of earthquake survivors.

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis study.

The present review was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. The data were collected by searching the data resources of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, MagIran, and Scientific Information Database. Meta-analysis was conducted using the random effects model, and the I² index was used to assess heterogeneity among studies. Publication bias was assessed using Begg's test.

In this study, 342 studies were identified in the primary literature search, and after removing duplicates, 14 of which were finally selected for meta-analysis. Based on the results of the meta-analysis, the overall prevalence was obtained: 4.19% for wasting, 16.78% for stunting, 12.59% for underweight, and 28.06% for anemia after the earthquake.

The results indicated that earthquake survivors are exposed to malnutrition. Therefore, it is recommended that adequate food and nutritional supplements are provided to all earthquake survivors.