Protocol for scoping review to identify current paediatric hypertension surveillance techniques in the sub-Saharan African region

Abstract

Abstract Objective This scoping review aims to evaluate the surveillance approaches currently being used in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to identify paediatric hypertension. The review will further identify barriers and limitations in paediatric hypertension surveillance techniques.Introduction: Globally, hypertension is the major cause of preventable death due to its contribution to the cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Approximately 1.28 billion individuals worldwide are currently living with hypertension with higher prevalence in low-and middle-income countries. Despite clear evidence worldwide that high blood pressure (HBP) in children and adolescents largely contributes to the burden of CVD at adulthood, the burden of hypertension among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is poorly documented due to lack of systematic approach.Inclusion criteria: This review will include peer-reviewed articles of any study design published in SSA region using the following criteria: articles reporting surveillance of paediatric hypertension among children and adolescent; articles reporting lack of appropriate guidelines and challenges impacting screening and diagnosis. Articles published in English as well as languages other than English where the translation is available will be included.Method and analysis: The scoping review will adopt the five stages of the Arskey and O’Malley methodological framework. Electric literature search will be conducted on the following data bases: MEDLINE, ERIC, PubMed, EBSCOhost, Health Source - Consumer Edition, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied, Health Literature (CINAHL), with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Google Scholar, Academic Search Complete and African Journals OnLine (AJOL). Grey literature search will be conducted on selected databases for relevant peer-reviewed articles. Articles selected will be screened separately by two of the co-authors, while the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews will be used to prepare and present the result of the scoping review.