Current state of preconception care in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic scoping review

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Current state of preconception care in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic scoping review
 
Creator Ukoha, Winifred C. Mtshali, Ntombifikile G. Adepeju, Lateef
 
Subject primary health care; general practiceUni preconception care; scoping; knowledge; utilisation; provision; sub-Saharan Africa
Description Background: Preconception care (PCC) utilisation is essential to extend and complete the health continuum. However, these services are not yet incorporated into many low-income countries’ existing maternal health services.Aim: This study aims to review the current literature on the knowledge, utilisation and provision of PCC.Setting: This included women and healthcare workers (HCWs) in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology framework is used in this study. The following databases, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Dissertation via ProQuest, were searched. Articles that met the eligibility criteria were included in this study.Results: Out of the 451 retrieved articles, 39 were relevant. In most studies, women’s utilisation and HCW’s provision of PCC were considered limited. Their knowledge, however, varies between studies, and there were a few studies conducted among women with chronic conditions. Several factors influenced women and HCWs’ knowledge, utilisation and provision of PCC, including age, level of education, employment, practice area, resources and knowledge. Preconception care interventions most commonly identified, utilised and provided were HIV testing, counselling and family planning, while preconception folic acid supplementation was the least.Conclusion: The estimates of knowledge and utilisation were suboptimal among women, while provision was the worst affected among HCWs. Gaps exist between the HCW knowledge and practice of PCC. There is a need to promote, prioritise, integrate and optimise the opportunistic provision of PCC in SSA. There is also a need for more studies on PCC provision and utilisation among women with chronic medical conditions.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor University of KwaZulu-Natal
Date 2022-04-26
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Review
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/phcfm.v14i1.3096
 
Source African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 14, No 1 (2022); 11 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3096/5317 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3096/5318 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3096/5319 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3096/5330 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3096/5320
 
Coverage Sub-Saharan Africa 2011-May 2020 Healthcare workers; women of child bearing age
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 winifred Chinyere Ukoha, Ntombifikile Gloria Mtshali, Lateef Adepeju https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT