Epidemiology and associated factors of depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: There is no pooled evidence regarding the prevalence and potential associated factors of depression among cancer patients in Ethiopian community. Hence, the current review aimed to examine the prevalence and associated factors of depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia. METHOD: A computerized systematic literature search was made in MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Each database was searched from its start date to June 2020. More over we will also add scholars and gray literature consultations. All articles will be included if they were published in English, which evaluated the prevalence and associated factors of depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia. Pooled estimations with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated with DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. Publication bias was evaluated by using inspection of funnel plots and statistical tests. DISCUSSION: Since we are using existing anonymized data, ethical approval is not required for this study. Our results can be used to guide clinical decisions about the most efficient way to prevent and treat depression among cancer patients. Systematic review registration Submitted to Prospero.