Prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors since COVID-19 among school going adolescents within the Southern African Development Community: a systematic review protocol
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Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMJ Open
Abstract
ntroduction The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly
shaped the global landscape and impacted various
aspects of individuals’ lives, especially the behaviour
of school-going adolescents regarding substance
use. Among these substances, alcohol is the most
predominant substance, particularly among school going adolescents, who also are highly susceptible
to harmful alcohol use, such as poor academic
performance, psychiatric disorders and disrupted social
lives. This review will synthesise the known prevalence
estimates and associated factors of alcohol use among
school-going adolescents in the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) since the COVID-19
pandemic.
Methods and analysis We will perform a systematic
review in line with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic
Reviews. We will systematically search for selected
global databases (ScienceDirect, EbscoHost, PsycINFO
and PubMed) and regional electronic databases (African
Index Medicus, Sabinet and African Journals OnLine).
Peer-reviewed literature published between 11 March
2020 and 10 March 2024 will be considered for eligibility
without language restriction. All 16 countries of the
SADC region will be included in the review. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool checklist for quality appraisal will
be used to appraise the methodological quality of the
included studies. Depending on the level of heterogeneity,
prevalence estimates will be pooled in a meta-analysis;
narrative synthesis will be applied to describe the
reported associated factors of alcohol use.
Ethics and dissemination We will not seek ethical
approval from an institutional review board since the
study will not involve gathering data directly from
individual school-going adolescents, nor will it violate
their privacy. When completed, the full report of this
review will be submitted to a journal for peer-reviewed
publication; the key findings will be presented at local and
international conferences with a partial or full focus on
(adolescent) alcohol (mis)use
Description
Research Article
Keywords
alcohol, adolescents, Covid-19
Citation
Ntho TA, Themane MJ, Sepadi MD, et al. Prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors since COVID-19 among school-going adolescents within the Southern African Development Community: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open 2024;14:e080675. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2023-080675