title: Evaluating overweight and obesity prevalence in survivors of childhood brain tumors: a systematic review protocol.
abstract: Overweight and obesity are well-known risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases including hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, and type 2 diabetes in the general population. Survivors of childhood brain tumors (SCBT) are at risk of premature mortality, and recent evidence suggests that these cardiometabolic diseases are potential emerging determinants of survival and quality of life. Therefore, the rates of overweight and obesity in this population need to be examined to assess their impact on outcomes. The objective of this systematic review is to examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in SCBT. The secondary aim of this review is to evaluate whether SCBT have higher adiposity compared to the general population.
  
  
  
  Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effect. For gray literature, we will search ProQuest Dissertations and Theses A&I and Web of Science. Two reviewers will independently screen all articles against predetermined eligibility criteria and complete data abstraction, risk of bias, and quality assessments. The primary outcome includes the prevalence of overweight or obesity. The secondary outcomes involve waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, body fat percentage, and skinfold thickness. Meta-analysis will be performed when two or more studies with similar design, populations, and outcomes are available.
  
  
  
  This review will summarize current data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in SCBT. This will help the development of an understanding of the scale of overweight and obesity in this population and guide the design of interventions that will improve outcomes.
  
  
  
  PROSPERO CRD42016051035.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, HSC-3A57, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada.|Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Medical Sciences Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kuan-Wen
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, HSC-3A57, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada.|Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sheila K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Library, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Banfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Russell J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, St. Joseph's Health Care, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Biostatistics Unit, St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Lehana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thabane
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, HSC-3A57, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada. samaanc@mcmaster.ca.|Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. samaanc@mcmaster.ca.|Medical Sciences Graduate Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. samaanc@mcmaster.ca.|Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. samaanc@mcmaster.ca.
authors.forename: M Constantine
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6403-4715
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Samaan
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078202:Systematic Reviews as Topic
keywords: Cancer survivorship; Childhood brain tumor; Obesity; Protocol; Systematic review protocol