| Summary: | Abstract Background Previous famine studies reported the association between early life famine exposure and adulthood anthropometric profile. However, the findings were variable. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to clarify the association of famine exposure in early life with the anthropometric profiles in adults. Methods Potentially relevant studies were searched through Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar and Google for gray literature and reference lists of previous studies. The random effects model (REM) and I2 test was used to adapt the pooling method and assess heterogeneity, respectively. Results Prenatal famine exposure was associated with increased risk of body mass index [SMD = 0.10 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.18)], waist circumference [SMD = 0.21 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.31)] in adults. Likewise, famine exposure during prenatal life was associated with decreased adult height [SMD) = − 0.26 (95% CI: − 0.44, − 0.09)]. Moreover, famine exposure during early childhood was associated with increased risk of waist circumference [SMD = 0.09 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.16)] and decreased adult height [SMD = − 0.16 (95% CI: − 0.27, − 0.04)]. Conclusion Our finding indicates that exposure to famine during early life was associated with the anthropometric profile of adults. In terms of public health significance, the results of the study further underscore the importance of improving the nutritional status of mothers and children to prevent adulthood diseases in the long run. Systematic review registration number PROSPERO CRD42020168424
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