Prevalence of Head Injury in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cross-sectional Community-based Surveys.

Abstract

Background: Head injury (HI) causes a wide range of psychological symptoms, such as cognitive deficits and mood changes, leading to significant disability. Although a few studies have explored the prevalence of HI in India. However, none of the meta-analytical studies reported the estimation of the prevalence of HI in India based on cross-sectional community surveys.

Summary: A systematic review search was conducted on journal hosting sites, namely EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, Ovid, PubMed, and Web of Science, complying with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Cross-sectional Indian studies reporting the prevalence of HI in India were included in the present study. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias Tool for Prevalence Studies. The meta-analysis was conducted using 'meta' and 'dmetar' packages through R software (4.4.0). A total of 17 studies surveyed 85,720 people, of whom 921 suffered from HI. The results showed an HI prevalence of 25.7 per thousand people in India. Subgroup analysis revealed a higher prevalence of HI among females (91.1 per 1,000) in comparison to males (85.1 per 1,000). Additionally, subgroup analysis of domicile revealed a higher HI prevalence among those from urban areas (29.5 per 1,000) than among those from rural areas (22.4 per 1,000).

Key message: This study highlights the substantial burden of HI in India and the associated disparities in gender and domicile. The findings will be helpful to health professionals and policymakers in making informed decisions regarding the preventive aspects of HI in India.