environmental risk factors of conduct disorder: an overview of meta-analyses

Background: conduct disorder is one of the most common disorders of childhood and adolescence. this disorder imposes high costs for the individual, family and community. understanding the risk factors associated with conduct disorder can portray a comprehensive picture of it. therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors related with conduct disorder.methods: we included meta-analyses that reported one or more risk factors of conduct disorder. we searched pubmed and scopus until june 25, 2024. two authors assessed the quality of the included studies independently using the robis.  two authors also extracted relevant data independently.results: we found 9 articles that met the inclusion criteria, from which information of 13 meta-analyses was extracted. the risk factors identified by the meta-analyses were as follows: severe psychiatric disorders in parents, postnatal exposure to second-hand smoke, atopic dermatitis , being children of alcoholics, prenatal alcohol exposure, maternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal alcohol use during pregnancy, and overweight/obesity.conclusions: drawing on 13 meta-analyses, this study provides a comprehensive synthesis of the risk factors associated with conduct disorder. the findings can inform policymakers and healthcare professionals for developing targeted interventions, such as public health campaigns and support programs for at-risk families, in order to mitigate these risks. furthermore, this study highlights the gaps in the existing literature, including the reliance on older studies and methodological limitations, paving the way for future research to address these shortcomings and strengthen the evidence base.