The prevalence and risk of urinary tract infection in malnourished children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 3 Subgroup random-effects prevalence estimates of urinary tract infection in malnourished children

Variable	Subgroup	N	Prevalence	Within-group heterogeneity estimates			Between-group heterogeneity estimates
			% (95% CI)	Q-statistic	P-value	I² (%)	Q-statistic	P-value
Sex	Males	6	23% (14, 32%)	30	< 0.001	83.2	0.3	0.61
	Females	6	20% (14, 27%)	14	0.01	64.8
Age	< 18 months	13	18% (13, 23%)	109	< 0.001	87.8	0.2	0.21
	≥18 months	13	16% (10, 23%)	74	< 0.001	87.3
Year of publication	< 2000	14	21% (16, 26%)	52	< 0.001	74.9	1.6	0.06
	≥2000	12	14% (9, 19%)	129	< 0.001	91
Malnutrition severity	Severe	20	15% (11, 19%)	129	< 0.001	91.4	3.6	0.01
	Mixed	6	25% (19, 32%)	17	< 0.001	70.4
Region	Africa	19	21% (17, 25%)	137	< 0.001	86.9	0.2	0.68
	Others	7	16% (7, 27%)	64	< 0.001	90.6
Study quality	Low	23	17% (12, 22%)	171	< 0.001	87.2	0.9	0.33
	High	3	21% (16, 26%)	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Sample size	< 50	6	27% (18, 36%)	9	0.11	44.2	5.8	0.02
	≥50	20	16% (12, 20%)	178	< 0.001	89.3
Urine sampling	One method^*	6	14% (7, 22%)	53	< 0.001	90.5	1.1	0.29
	Multiple methods/ not specified	20	18% (14, 23%)	112	< 0.001	83.1

All estimates were derived from meta-analytic models with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. n.a. not applicable due to very low sample size in the group. *One method includes either suprapubic aspiration or sterile catheterization

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