Practical integrated healthcare prevention and management of children's health quality of respiratory functions: a systematic review.

Abstract

Background: To synthesise recent empirical evidence for the prevention and management of respiratory function in children.

Methods and findings: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science databases for studies published from inception to 16 September 2024. Two authors independently selected eligible studies, evaluated the quality of the included studies and assessed bias based on the Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing the risk of bias. First, 968 studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected. We stratified all studies into three groups: asthma (n=50), pneumonia (n=4) and other respiratory diseases (n=15). We performed bias evaluations and summarised the paediatric respiratory function on a pathway based on probable aetiology. We determined that household and communal management schemes for different age groups were based on different types of diseases. We divided the children into the infant group (0-3 years old), preschool age (4-6 years old), school-going age (7-13 years old) and adolescents (14-18 years old) and summarised the appropriate management schemes according to the different characteristics of each group.

Conclusion: Effective prevention and management strategies implemented at both the family and community levels can significantly enhance the quality of life for children with respiratory disorders. Our summary highlights the importance of these strategies throughout the preadult lifecycle. We emphasise the need for future research employing rigorous and advanced methodologies to explore and address prevention and management practices across varying severity levels of respiratory conditions.