Association between Vitamin D and Dengue Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Abstract

Purpose: To understand how vitamin D influences the severity of dengue
fever as per WHO 1997 and WHO 2009 classification, as many studies
have shown ambiguity in this respect
Method: The review has been registered in PROSPERO with registration
number CRD420251003676 and will be carried out in accordance with
the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analyses) 2020 standards. Peer-reviewed literature will be used
to identify the studies. The literature search will be conducted using
the following databases: Web of Science, PubMed, PubMed Central,
and Scopus. Additionally, the academic search engine - Google Scholar
will be searched.; two reviewers independently will screen the titles
and abstracts of studies based on predefined eligibility criteria. The
other two reviewers will assess the quality based on the Joanna Briggs
Institute quality parameters. Heterogeneity among the included studies
will be examined using statistical measures such as I2

and Cochrane Q
statistics. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis will be used to assess the
findings’ reliability. If there are more than ten articles, a funnel plot
test will be employed to assess publication bias.
Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis, in the absence
of multi-centric studies, will explore whether Vitamin D deficiency
worsens dengue outcomes and if supplementation could help. The
findings from this study could help shape future treatments and improve
patient care. In areas where dengue is endemic, our systematic review
and meta-analysis will assist in pinpointing research gaps and direct
future studies and public health initiatives.

How to cite this article:
Agarwal S J, Jena P K, Kishore J, Sahu L S, Behera
C K, Panda S K, Agarwal V. Association between
Vitamin D and Dengue Severity: A Systematic
Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol. J Commun
Dis. 2025;57(1):151-156.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202520