{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T17:41:59Z","timestamp":1789839719836,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,20]],"date-time":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1697760000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common metabolic disorder affecting more than 400 million individuals worldwide. Being an X-linked disorder, the disease is more common among males than females. Various Arab countries estimated the prevalence of G6PD deficiency; however, findings from different countries have not been synthesized collectively. Hence, a systematic review was undertaken to synthesize the findings on the epidemiology of G6PD deficiency in all Arab countries. We performed an electronic systematic literature search based on the eligibility criteria using databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, and CINHAL. The studies included in the review were primary and original research studies assessing the prevalence or incidence, risk factors, or determinants of G6PD deficiency, and published in the English language in a peer-reviewed scientific journal between 2000 and 2022. The systematic review was carried out with the help of an updated PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist. After the screening, 23 full texts were finalized for data extraction. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency ranged from 2 to 31% with a greater burden among high-risk populations like neonates with sickle cell anemia. The determinants included males, family history, consanguineous marriages, and geographic regions, which were all risk factors, except for body weight, which was a protective factor. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency varies across Arab countries, with a higher prevalence in males than females. Different regions of Arab countries need to revisit their screening and diagnostic guidelines to detect G6PD deficiency promptly and prevent unnecessary morbidity and mortality among their communities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12206648","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,20]],"date-time":"2023-10-20T07:25:22Z","timestamp":1697786722000},"page":"6648","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Epidemiology of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency in Arab Countries: Insights from a Systematic Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0972-7009","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdulaziz S.","family":"Alangari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ashraf A.","family":"El-Metwally","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullah","family":"Alanazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9824-7148","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Badr F.","family":"Al Khateeb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanan M.","family":"Al Kadri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ibtehaj F.","family":"Alshdoukhi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Basic Sciences, College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 14611, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aljohrah I.","family":"Aldubikhi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh 11673, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muzun","family":"Alruwaili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medical Sciences, North Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Awad","family":"Alshahrani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of the National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(08)60073-2","article-title":"Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency","volume":"371","author":"Cappellini","year":"2008","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1068","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1708111","article-title":"Favism and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency","volume":"378","author":"Luzzatto","year":"2018","journal-title":"N. 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