Nishino Kyohei, Gyeltshen Tshewang, Rahman Mahbubur
Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke's International University, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Jan 5;22(1):63. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22010063.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a serious global health challenge, accounting for 74% of all deaths worldwide, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) disproportionately affected. These challenges are further exacerbated in humanitarian settings, particularly among forcibly displaced people (FDP). Despite the critical need for NCD management in these populations, their epidemiology remains poorly understood. This highlights an urgent research priority to address knowledge gaps and improve their health outcomes.
In this research, we conducted a systematic mapping review to aggregate and categorize existing publications on NCDs among FDP. Literature searches were performed across five electronic databases, namely PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Global Index Medicus, and Google Scholar, using predefined criteria related to target populations, research domains, and study design. The evidence was systematically coded and analyzed to assess the current research status on NCDs among FDP.
A total of 310 publications were included in the review. The findings indicate an increasing trend in publications on NCDs among FDP since 2014. In contrast, most studies revealed low evidence levels. Disease-specific research primarily focused on diabetes mellitus (DM) (26.4%) and hypertension (19.8%), addressing health status (43.1%) and health policy (32.0%). Studies mainly concentrated on Syrian (45.5%) and Palestinian (18.9%) refugees, with limited research on other countries and types of FDP. Funding sources were mostly governmental (23.1%) and philanthropic foundations (17.6%), although many studies were unfunded (26.2%).
This is the first systematic mapping review on NCDs among FDP. The findings revealed both current knowledge areas of focus and gaps. Although the research quantity has increased, the evidence quality remains low. The retrieved studies predominantly focused on DM and hypertension among Syrian and Palestinian refugees, causing significant knowledge gaps regarding other geographical areas and types of FDP. Future research should prioritize higher-quality studies, expand the geographical scope, and include diverse types of FDP.
非传染性疾病对全球健康构成严峻挑战，占全球所有死亡人数的74%，低收入和中等收入国家受影响尤为严重。在人道主义环境中，这些挑战进一步加剧，特别是在被迫流离失所者中。尽管迫切需要对这些人群进行非传染性疾病管理，但其流行病学仍知之甚少。这凸显了一个紧迫的研究重点，即填补知识空白并改善他们的健康状况。
在本研究中，我们进行了一项系统的图谱综述，以汇总和分类关于被迫流离失所者中非传染性疾病的现有出版物。使用与目标人群、研究领域和研究设计相关的预定义标准，在五个电子数据库（即PubMed、Cochrane图书馆、Embase、全球医学索引和谷歌学术）中进行文献检索。对证据进行系统编码和分析，以评估被迫流离失所者中非传染性疾病的当前研究状况。
该综述共纳入310篇出版物。研究结果表明，自2014年以来，关于被迫流离失所者中非传染性疾病的出版物呈增加趋势。相比之下，大多数研究显示证据水平较低。特定疾病的研究主要集中在糖尿病（26.4%）和高血压（19.8%），涉及健康状况（43.1%）和卫生政策（32.0%）。研究主要集中在叙利亚难民（45.5%）和巴勒斯坦难民（18.9%），对其他国家和类型的被迫流离失所者研究有限。资金来源大多是政府（23.1%）和慈善基金会（17.6%），尽管许多研究没有资金支持（26.2%）。
这是第一项关于被迫流离失所者中非传染性疾病的系统图谱综述。研究结果揭示了当前的重点知识领域和差距。虽然研究数量有所增加，但证据质量仍然较低。检索到的研究主要集中在叙利亚和巴勒斯坦难民中的糖尿病和高血压，导致在其他地理区域和类型的被迫流离失所者方面存在重大知识空白。未来的研究应优先开展高质量研究，扩大地理范围，并纳入不同类型的被迫流离失所者。
