Abstract
BACKGROUND: Asthma is a leading cause of emergency hospital visits and a significant factor in lost productive hours. The lack of a synthesized body of knowledge on bronchial asthma has notable public health implications. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the prevalence of asthma and its predictors among patients presenting in Ethiopian public hospitals. DESIGN: Duplicate studies were removed using EndNote version X9. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale guided the quality assessment, and data extraction followed the Joanna Briggs Institute format. DATA SOURCE AND METHODS: The authors used advanced search methods, including databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Africa Index Medicus, Science Direct, HINARI, Google Scholar, and manual searches. Data presentation adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's regression test and a funnel plot. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted. RESULTS: The search yielded 352 original articles, with 22 meeting the criteria for inclusion. Using the random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model, the prevalence of bronchial asthma was found to be 9.02% (95% CI: 7.50, 10.53). Several factors were associated with the prevalence of bronchial asthma, including the spring season (AOR 3.7; 95% CI: 2.11, 6.49), childhood age (AOR 4.2; 95% CI: 1.84, 9.55), and urban residence (AOR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.29, 2.31). Other significant factors include family history of asthma (AOR 2.89; 95% CI: 2.22, 3.75), insecticide exposure (AOR 3.3; 95% CI: 2.23, 4.91), and the presence of household insects like cockroaches (AOR 3.33; 95% CI: 2.15, 5.15). Smoking (AOR 3.64; 95% CI: 2.66, 4.98), obstructive sleep apnea (AOR 4.29; 95% CI: 2.37, 7.76), and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (AOR 4.31; 95% CI: 2.24, 8.32) were also significant. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of bronchial asthma is notably high in Ethiopia. Key predictors include childhood age, spring season, urban living, family history of asthma, exposure to insecticides, presence of cockroaches, smoking, obstructive sleep apnea, and recurrent upper respiratory infections. Targeted interventions are crucial and should focus on lifestyle improvements, allergen identification, cockroach control, smoking cessation, reducing insecticide exposure, and promoting a safe environment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This review's protocol was pre-registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO registration number CRD42023491222).