Role of ethnicity and environment on lifestyle and cardiometabolic profile in the Native American Mapuche population: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: Cardiometabolic risk factors contribute to increase the incidence of some of the most widespread noncommunicable diseases today. The propensity to present an elevated cardiometabolic risk appears to especially affect non-Caucasians ethnic groups, such as the Native American Mapuche population. In addition, urbanization process has also a great impact on lifestyle and cardiometabolic profile. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to summarize the relevant evidence regarding lifestyle and cardiometabolic profile in Mapuche population, and to assess the role of the ethnicity and the urbanization process on the lifestyle and cardiometabolic profile in Mapuche people with respect to European descendants. METHODS: A comprehensive search until 2019 will be performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, Web of Science and Scopus. Observational studies, carried out in general population of Mapuche ethnicity living in rural and urban areas, with data of lifestyle and/or cardiometabolic profile, will be selected. A qualitative summary, as well as meta-analyzes when possible, will be done to present the information. Random effects meta-analyzes will be performed using the generic inverse variance method. Pooled effect size will be expressed as mean difference with 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the Cochran Q-statistic and the I(2) statistic. Stratified analyzes, meta-regressions, and sensitivity analyzes will be performed to evaluate potential sources of heterogeneity. In addition, random effects meta-regressions and stratified analyzes will also be used to examine the impact of covariates on the effect size estimated. Publication bias will be investigated using Egger and Begg test, and risk of bias will be assessed using the Research Triangle Institute Item Bank (RTI-IB). Finally, the quality of evidence will be evaluated through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. RESULTS: The results of meta-analyzes will provide important information about differences in lifestyle and cardiometabolic profile between Mapuche people and European descendants, as well as between Mapuche people living in urban and rural areas. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis will be helpful to obtain a more reliable understanding of lifestyle and cardiometabolic profile in Mapuche population compared to European descendants, and the impact of the transition from rural to urban areas in this ethnic group.