Pub Date : 2025-02-03DOI: 10.1186/s12884-025-07185-z
Hannah O'Connor, Nina Meloncelli, Shelley A Wilkinson, Anna Mae Scott, Lisa Vincze, Alita Rushton, Samantha Dawson, Jenna Hollis, Bree Whiteoak, Sarah Gauci, Susan de Jersey
Improving dietary intake during pregnancy can mitigate adverse consequences for women and their children. The effective techniques and features for supporting and sustaining dietary change during pregnancy and postpartum are minimally reported. The primary aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to summarise the effectiveness of dietary interventions for pregnant woman, identify which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and intervention features were most frequently used and determine which were most effective at improving dietary intake. Six databases were searched to identify randomised control trials (RCTs) reporting on dietary intake in pregnant women over the age of sixteen, with an active intervention group compared to a control group receiving usual care or less intensive interventions. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 1 was used to assess study validity. BCTs were coded by two authors using Michie et al.'s BCT taxonomy V1. A random effect model assessed intervention effects on indices of dietary quality and food groups (fruit, vegetables, grains and cereals, meat, and dairy) in relation to the use of BCTs and intervention features. Thirty- seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. High heterogeneity was observed across intervention characteristics and measures of fidelity. Only half of the available BCTs were used, with eleven used once. The BCT category Reward and threat was successful in improving dietary quality and vegetable intake, whilst 'Action planning' (1.4) from the category Goals and planning significantly improved dietary quality. Interventions delivered by a nutrition professional and those that included group sessions improved dietary quality more than those delivered by other health professionals, research staff, or application-delivered interventions and delivered via other modalities. Future dietary interventions during pregnancy should incorporate and report on BCTs used in the intervention. Successful design elements for improving antenatal dietary intake may include multimodal interventions delivered by nutrition professionals and the use of Rewards and Goal setting.
{"title":"Effective dietary interventions during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of behavior change techniques to promote healthy eating.","authors":"Hannah O'Connor, Nina Meloncelli, Shelley A Wilkinson, Anna Mae Scott, Lisa Vincze, Alita Rushton, Samantha Dawson, Jenna Hollis, Bree Whiteoak, Sarah Gauci, Susan de Jersey","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07185-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07185-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Improving dietary intake during pregnancy can mitigate adverse consequences for women and their children. The effective techniques and features for supporting and sustaining dietary change during pregnancy and postpartum are minimally reported. The primary aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to summarise the effectiveness of dietary interventions for pregnant woman, identify which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and intervention features were most frequently used and determine which were most effective at improving dietary intake. Six databases were searched to identify randomised control trials (RCTs) reporting on dietary intake in pregnant women over the age of sixteen, with an active intervention group compared to a control group receiving usual care or less intensive interventions. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 1 was used to assess study validity. BCTs were coded by two authors using Michie et al.'s BCT taxonomy V1. A random effect model assessed intervention effects on indices of dietary quality and food groups (fruit, vegetables, grains and cereals, meat, and dairy) in relation to the use of BCTs and intervention features. Thirty- seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. High heterogeneity was observed across intervention characteristics and measures of fidelity. Only half of the available BCTs were used, with eleven used once. The BCT category Reward and threat was successful in improving dietary quality and vegetable intake, whilst 'Action planning' (1.4) from the category Goals and planning significantly improved dietary quality. Interventions delivered by a nutrition professional and those that included group sessions improved dietary quality more than those delivered by other health professionals, research staff, or application-delivered interventions and delivered via other modalities. Future dietary interventions during pregnancy should incorporate and report on BCTs used in the intervention. Successful design elements for improving antenatal dietary intake may include multimodal interventions delivered by nutrition professionals and the use of Rewards and Goal setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"112"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792301/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-03DOI: 10.1186/s12884-025-07255-2
Yan Lei, Na Zhang, Yu Liu, Xin Du
Background: We aimed to establish a predictive nomogram to evaluate the incidence of residual tissue in patients with endogenic cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy after negative pressure aspiration.
Methods: This retrospective study included patients treated in the gynecology department of our institution from May 2017 to August 2023 who underwent negative pressure suction treatment, ultrasound examinations before and after treatment, and received telephone follow-up for at least 6 months. A total of 899 patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into a training cohort (629 patients, 70%) and a validation cohort (270 patients, 30%). Independent predictive factors were established using multivariate logistic regression. The resulting nomogram was validated using 1,000 bootstrap resampling, and calibration curves were plotted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to calculate the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, and other metrics to assess its discriminative performance. Clinical decision curves were constructed to evaluate clinical applicability and quantify the net benefit within a range of threshold probabilities. The model was externally validated in the validation cohort.
Results: Predictive factors included in the nomogram included age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.220, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.135-1.316), BMI (HR: 0.890, 95% CI: 0.796-0.986), intraoperative major hemorrhage (HR: 4.457, 95% CI: 1.610-12.292), maximum diameter of the gestational sac (HR: 1.572, 95% CI: 1.295, 1.914), and thickness of the remaining muscle layer of the lower uterine segment (HR: 1.572, 95% CI: 0.014, 0.430). The ROC curve of the resulting nomogram showed similar area under the curve values for the training (0.809, 95% CI: 0.751-0.867) and validation cohorts (0.814, 95% CI: 0.739, 0.888). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated good model fit (P = 0.861), and the calibration curve was close to the ideal diagonal line. Decision curve analysis demonstrated good net benefit, and external validation confirmed its reliability.
Conclusions: The model may aid in individual clinical decision-making, allowing clinicians to perform immediate postoperative assessments for patients with endogenous ectopic pregnancy in cesarean section scars treated with negative pressure suction, identify high-risk subpopulations, and select appropriate supplementary treatment in advance, making it particularly suitable for low-income areas and resource-limited primary hospitals.
{"title":"A prediction nomogram for residual after negative pressure aspiration for endogenic cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy: a retrospective study.","authors":"Yan Lei, Na Zhang, Yu Liu, Xin Du","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07255-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07255-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We aimed to establish a predictive nomogram to evaluate the incidence of residual tissue in patients with endogenic cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy after negative pressure aspiration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study included patients treated in the gynecology department of our institution from May 2017 to August 2023 who underwent negative pressure suction treatment, ultrasound examinations before and after treatment, and received telephone follow-up for at least 6 months. A total of 899 patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into a training cohort (629 patients, 70%) and a validation cohort (270 patients, 30%). Independent predictive factors were established using multivariate logistic regression. The resulting nomogram was validated using 1,000 bootstrap resampling, and calibration curves were plotted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to calculate the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, and other metrics to assess its discriminative performance. Clinical decision curves were constructed to evaluate clinical applicability and quantify the net benefit within a range of threshold probabilities. The model was externally validated in the validation cohort.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Predictive factors included in the nomogram included age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.220, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.135-1.316), BMI (HR: 0.890, 95% CI: 0.796-0.986), intraoperative major hemorrhage (HR: 4.457, 95% CI: 1.610-12.292), maximum diameter of the gestational sac (HR: 1.572, 95% CI: 1.295, 1.914), and thickness of the remaining muscle layer of the lower uterine segment (HR: 1.572, 95% CI: 0.014, 0.430). The ROC curve of the resulting nomogram showed similar area under the curve values for the training (0.809, 95% CI: 0.751-0.867) and validation cohorts (0.814, 95% CI: 0.739, 0.888). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated good model fit (P = 0.861), and the calibration curve was close to the ideal diagonal line. Decision curve analysis demonstrated good net benefit, and external validation confirmed its reliability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The model may aid in individual clinical decision-making, allowing clinicians to perform immediate postoperative assessments for patients with endogenous ectopic pregnancy in cesarean section scars treated with negative pressure suction, identify high-risk subpopulations, and select appropriate supplementary treatment in advance, making it particularly suitable for low-income areas and resource-limited primary hospitals.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"107"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11789346/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Research on the relationship between fetal sex and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is limited, and existing findings have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of fetal sex on neonatal outcomes in mothers with GDM.
Methods: We conducted a systematic search of six database) PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, SID (Persian database), and Embase (up to January 1, 2025. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Subgroup analyses differentiated between retrospective and prospective cohorts for the primary outcomes. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the leave-one-out approach to evaluate the robustness of the pooled results. Additionally, a meta-regression analysis was conducted, considering maternal age, gestational weight gain, and BMI for both male and female infants.
Results: From 702 studies screened, twelve observational studies were included in the analysis. The results revealed a significant increase in the rates of macrosomia (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.77, 6 studies, 121,230 neonates; p < 0.0001), cesarean delivery (RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.06, 6 studies, 127,704 neonates; p < 0.0001), large for gestational age (LGA) (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.36, 6 studies, 16,863 neonates; p < 0.0001), small for gestational age (SGA) (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.25, 6 studies, 16,863 neonates; p = 0.002), and a 5-minute Apgar score of less than 7 (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.43, 2 studies, 104,881 neonates; p = 0.0003) in male neonates compared to female neonates. However, there were no significant differences in the rates of preterm delivery (p = 0.86), jaundice (p = 0.75), and a 1-minute Apgar score of less than 7 (p = 0.08) between male and female neonates in women with GDM.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that male infants are at a greater risk of experiencing specific adverse outcomes in the context of GDM. Further research is needed to establish tailored interventions and guidelines to improve the care and management of women with GDM and their infants.
{"title":"Impact of fetal sex on neonatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Mahsa Maghalian, Zohreh Alizadeh-Dibazari, Mojgan Mirghafourvand","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07250-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07250-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on the relationship between fetal sex and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is limited, and existing findings have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of fetal sex on neonatal outcomes in mothers with GDM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a systematic search of six database) PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, SID (Persian database), and Embase (up to January 1, 2025. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Subgroup analyses differentiated between retrospective and prospective cohorts for the primary outcomes. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the leave-one-out approach to evaluate the robustness of the pooled results. Additionally, a meta-regression analysis was conducted, considering maternal age, gestational weight gain, and BMI for both male and female infants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 702 studies screened, twelve observational studies were included in the analysis. The results revealed a significant increase in the rates of macrosomia (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.77, 6 studies, 121,230 neonates; p < 0.0001), cesarean delivery (RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.06, 6 studies, 127,704 neonates; p < 0.0001), large for gestational age (LGA) (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.36, 6 studies, 16,863 neonates; p < 0.0001), small for gestational age (SGA) (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.25, 6 studies, 16,863 neonates; p = 0.002), and a 5-minute Apgar score of less than 7 (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.43, 2 studies, 104,881 neonates; p = 0.0003) in male neonates compared to female neonates. However, there were no significant differences in the rates of preterm delivery (p = 0.86), jaundice (p = 0.75), and a 1-minute Apgar score of less than 7 (p = 0.08) between male and female neonates in women with GDM.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest that male infants are at a greater risk of experiencing specific adverse outcomes in the context of GDM. Further research is needed to establish tailored interventions and guidelines to improve the care and management of women with GDM and their infants.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"110"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792264/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Despite the association between the gut dysbiosis and metabolic disorders, the main bacterial phylum in the first trimester of pregnancy that predisposes mothers to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the second trimester is not clear around the world.
Materials and methods: Three-hundred healthy women aged 18-40 years who were in the first trimester were participated in this cohort study and followed to the screening time for GDM diagnosis (in 24-28 weeks of pregnancy). Stool samples were gathered in the first trimester. GDM was diagnosed based on the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Groups. In total, thirty mothers were diagnosed with GDM. Controls (N = 60) were selected from non-GDM participants matching to the GDM in terms of pre-pregnancy weight, weight gain, dietary intake and familial history of diabetes. The dominant phylum population was determined based on 16SrRNA gene expression.
Results: Mothers with lower Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria population in the first trimester were more susceptible to GDM in the screening time (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio was significantly higher in mothers with GDM than the controls (p < 0.001). A significant negative correlation was observed between the gut Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p = 0.004, p < 0.001, p = 0.02) population in the first trimester with the the serum FBS, 1 h-PG and 2 h-PG levels in the screening time. However, the gut Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (p = 0.003, p = 0.01) showed a significant positive correlation with serum FBS and 1 h-PG levels.
Conclusions: A higher Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria population in the gut of mothers at the first trimester was associated with lower risk of GDM in the screening time. Higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut of mothers was associated with fasting and 1-h glucose intolerance in the screening time.
{"title":"Higher gut Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria population in early pregnancy is associated with lower risk of gestational diabetes in the second trimester.","authors":"Seyedeh Neda Mousavi, Navid Momeni, Hossein Chiti, Howra Mahmoodnasab, Mohammad Ahmadi, Siamak Heidarzadeh","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07192-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07192-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite the association between the gut dysbiosis and metabolic disorders, the main bacterial phylum in the first trimester of pregnancy that predisposes mothers to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the second trimester is not clear around the world.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Three-hundred healthy women aged 18-40 years who were in the first trimester were participated in this cohort study and followed to the screening time for GDM diagnosis (in 24-28 weeks of pregnancy). Stool samples were gathered in the first trimester. GDM was diagnosed based on the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Groups. In total, thirty mothers were diagnosed with GDM. Controls (N = 60) were selected from non-GDM participants matching to the GDM in terms of pre-pregnancy weight, weight gain, dietary intake and familial history of diabetes. The dominant phylum population was determined based on 16SrRNA gene expression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mothers with lower Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria population in the first trimester were more susceptible to GDM in the screening time (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio was significantly higher in mothers with GDM than the controls (p < 0.001). A significant negative correlation was observed between the gut Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p = 0.004, p < 0.001, p = 0.02) population in the first trimester with the the serum FBS, 1 h-PG and 2 h-PG levels in the screening time. However, the gut Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (p = 0.003, p = 0.01) showed a significant positive correlation with serum FBS and 1 h-PG levels.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A higher Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria population in the gut of mothers at the first trimester was associated with lower risk of GDM in the screening time. Higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut of mothers was associated with fasting and 1-h glucose intolerance in the screening time.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"106"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11789361/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-03DOI: 10.1186/s12884-025-07233-8
Derya Kaya Şenol, Mine Gökduman Keleş
Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of individual education and care given to pregnant women in their living spaces on prenatal distress, risk perception, and labour anxiety.
Method: The study was conducted with 60 pregnant women primiparous pregnant women over 20 weeks of gestation. Data for this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest designed randomised control group study were collected using the Prenatal Distress Scale, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire, and the Oxford Worries about Labour Scale. Education and care were provided in four 30-minute sessions, scheduled on mutually agreed-upon days and times in the living spaces of the pregnant women in the intervention group. These sessions were based on modules prepared by the researchers according to the women's trimesters. Pregnant women in the control group received routine pregnancy follow-ups concurrently with the intervention group.
Results: The mean posttest score of the pregnant women was 33.5 ± 4.1 in the intervention group and 23.6 ± 4.9 in the control group (p = 0.001). The mean posttest score for the Risk Perception Scale was 3 ± 0.9 in the intervention group and 5.6 ± 2.2 in the control group. For Prenatal Distress, the mean post-test score was 1.4 ± 2.2 in the intervention group and 13.2 ± 9.1 in the control group (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: The results of this study show that providing education to pregnant women in their living spaces following a disaster effectively reduces their risk perceptions, prenatal distress, and labour anxiety.
Date of registration: 26.10.2023 (NCT06110819).
{"title":"The effect of individual education and care provided in living spaces to pregnant women in the earthquake region on prenatal distress, risk perception, and labour anxiety.","authors":"Derya Kaya Şenol, Mine Gökduman Keleş","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07233-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07233-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of individual education and care given to pregnant women in their living spaces on prenatal distress, risk perception, and labour anxiety.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study was conducted with 60 pregnant women primiparous pregnant women over 20 weeks of gestation. Data for this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest designed randomised control group study were collected using the Prenatal Distress Scale, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire, and the Oxford Worries about Labour Scale. Education and care were provided in four 30-minute sessions, scheduled on mutually agreed-upon days and times in the living spaces of the pregnant women in the intervention group. These sessions were based on modules prepared by the researchers according to the women's trimesters. Pregnant women in the control group received routine pregnancy follow-ups concurrently with the intervention group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean posttest score of the pregnant women was 33.5 ± 4.1 in the intervention group and 23.6 ± 4.9 in the control group (p = 0.001). The mean posttest score for the Risk Perception Scale was 3 ± 0.9 in the intervention group and 5.6 ± 2.2 in the control group. For Prenatal Distress, the mean post-test score was 1.4 ± 2.2 in the intervention group and 13.2 ± 9.1 in the control group (p = 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results of this study show that providing education to pregnant women in their living spaces following a disaster effectively reduces their risk perceptions, prenatal distress, and labour anxiety.</p><p><strong>Date of registration: </strong>26.10.2023 (NCT06110819).</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"109"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11789387/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-03DOI: 10.1186/s12884-025-07225-8
Manaye Yihune Teshale, Agegnehu Bante, Abebe Gedefaw Belete, Rik Crutzen, Mark Spigt, Sarah E Stutterheim
<p><strong>Background: </strong>In East Africa, women face significant challenges accessing maternal healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. While several studies have examined barriers and facilitators to maternal care, there is no comprehensive review reflecting the various perspectives of women, their families, healthcare providers, and key stakeholders. We systematically reviewed qualitative literature on maternal healthcare in East Africa, synthesizing insights from multiple perspectives and exploring barriers and facilitators across socioecological levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative evidence synthesis focused on studies from East Africa published between January 2015 and June 2024. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and ProQuest, and used citation tracking to find additional references. Eligible studies were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program, and a thematic synthesis was performed to identify barriers and facilitators.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 3181 records identified, 81 studies (63 qualitative and 18 mixed method) met the inclusion criteria, representing 4816 individuals from six East African countries. This review identified barriers at various levels: individual barriers included a lack of awareness and knowledge, fear of being treated poorly, and financial constraints; interpersonal barriers comprised limited family support, communication challenges, and a lack of decision-making autonomy; health facility barriers included poor quality of healthcare, poor infrastructure, limited medical supplies, provider shortages, abusive behaviors from healthcare providers, lack of transportation, and high service costs; community-level barriers involved socio-cultural norms, societal stigma, and gender-based disparities; and policy-level barriers included poor focus on maternal health, a lack of male accompaniment policies, and conflicts. Key facilitators identified included improved healthcare understanding and women's self-efficacy at the individual level, family support and positive social influences at the interpersonal level, high-quality services, reliable transportation, compassionate care, and health education at the health facility level, community initiatives, gender equality, and maternity waiting homes at the community level, as well as free maternity services and health extension programs at the policy level.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The synthesis identified key barriers and facilitators to the maternal healthcare in East African countries, ranging from individual to policy levels. We recommend that future initiatives focus on addressing these barriers while enhancing facilitators across individual, interpersonal, health facility, community, and policy levels through woman-centered, evidence-based strategies. Moreover, fostering collaboration among governments, healthcare provide
{"title":"Barriers and facilitators to maternal healthcare in East Africa: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis of perspectives from women, their families, healthcare providers, and key stakeholders.","authors":"Manaye Yihune Teshale, Agegnehu Bante, Abebe Gedefaw Belete, Rik Crutzen, Mark Spigt, Sarah E Stutterheim","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07225-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07225-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In East Africa, women face significant challenges accessing maternal healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. While several studies have examined barriers and facilitators to maternal care, there is no comprehensive review reflecting the various perspectives of women, their families, healthcare providers, and key stakeholders. We systematically reviewed qualitative literature on maternal healthcare in East Africa, synthesizing insights from multiple perspectives and exploring barriers and facilitators across socioecological levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative evidence synthesis focused on studies from East Africa published between January 2015 and June 2024. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and ProQuest, and used citation tracking to find additional references. Eligible studies were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program, and a thematic synthesis was performed to identify barriers and facilitators.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 3181 records identified, 81 studies (63 qualitative and 18 mixed method) met the inclusion criteria, representing 4816 individuals from six East African countries. This review identified barriers at various levels: individual barriers included a lack of awareness and knowledge, fear of being treated poorly, and financial constraints; interpersonal barriers comprised limited family support, communication challenges, and a lack of decision-making autonomy; health facility barriers included poor quality of healthcare, poor infrastructure, limited medical supplies, provider shortages, abusive behaviors from healthcare providers, lack of transportation, and high service costs; community-level barriers involved socio-cultural norms, societal stigma, and gender-based disparities; and policy-level barriers included poor focus on maternal health, a lack of male accompaniment policies, and conflicts. Key facilitators identified included improved healthcare understanding and women's self-efficacy at the individual level, family support and positive social influences at the interpersonal level, high-quality services, reliable transportation, compassionate care, and health education at the health facility level, community initiatives, gender equality, and maternity waiting homes at the community level, as well as free maternity services and health extension programs at the policy level.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The synthesis identified key barriers and facilitators to the maternal healthcare in East African countries, ranging from individual to policy levels. We recommend that future initiatives focus on addressing these barriers while enhancing facilitators across individual, interpersonal, health facility, community, and policy levels through woman-centered, evidence-based strategies. Moreover, fostering collaboration among governments, healthcare provide","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"111"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: The Tigray region of Ethiopia has a significantly high prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs), ranging from 1.31 to 2.15% of total births. The prevalence has worsened due to ongoing regional war and conflict since October 2020. This study aims to assess NTD prevalence in these challenging conditions.
Methods: This institution-based, retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted across 11 public hospitals in the Tigray region. The study reviewed all delivery records from October 2020 to December 2023. Data were collected from hospital records, focusing on cases of neural tube defects (NTDs) and relevant maternal and neonatal characteristics. This retrospective analysis aimed to identify the prevalence of NTDs, as well as factors contributing to their occurrence. The data analysis involved using SPSS version 27 for comprehensive data management and statistical evaluation. Descriptive statistics provided an overview of the data, while binary logistic regression offered insights into the factors associated with neural tube defects. The results were systematically presented in both textual, tabular, graph formats to facilitate understanding and interpretation.
Results: Out of 54,626 delivery records, 1,612 cases of NTDs were identified (1,434 NTD cases and 178 isolated hydrocephalus cases). The specific birth prevalence of NTDs was 262.5 per 10,000 (95% CI, 249.1-276.5 per 10,000), with NTDs being the predominant cause of stillbirths. Anencephaly (136.6 per 10,000), spina bifida (110.6 per 10,000) and encephalocele (15.4 per 10,000) were the most common defects. Risk factors for NTDs include maternal age (20-29 years), rural residency, first pregnancies, a history of early neonatal death, lack of folic acid and multivitamin use, as well as neonatal factors like stillbirth, male sex, and preterm birth.
Conclusion: This study reveals the alarmingly high prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the Tigray region, with a birth prevalence of 262.5 per 10,000 births. Anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele were common, contributing to stillbirths. Risk factors include maternal age (20-29), rural residency, first pregnancies, lack of folic acid and multivitamins, and neonatal factors like male sex and preterm birth. The findings stress the need for public health interventions, including folic acid awareness, better prenatal care, maternal nutrition research, stronger health systems, and a national surveillance system to prevent birth defects.
{"title":"Neural tube defects in a war-torn Tigray regional state of Ethiopia: a retrospective study of 54,626 deliveries.","authors":"Birhane Alem Berihu, Afework Mulugeta, Tony Magana, Masresha Tessema, Tafere Gebreegziabher, Yibrah Berhe, Abadi Leul Welderufael, Hayelom Kebede Mekonen","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07254-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07254-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Tigray region of Ethiopia has a significantly high prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs), ranging from 1.31 to 2.15% of total births. The prevalence has worsened due to ongoing regional war and conflict since October 2020. This study aims to assess NTD prevalence in these challenging conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This institution-based, retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted across 11 public hospitals in the Tigray region. The study reviewed all delivery records from October 2020 to December 2023. Data were collected from hospital records, focusing on cases of neural tube defects (NTDs) and relevant maternal and neonatal characteristics. This retrospective analysis aimed to identify the prevalence of NTDs, as well as factors contributing to their occurrence. The data analysis involved using SPSS version 27 for comprehensive data management and statistical evaluation. Descriptive statistics provided an overview of the data, while binary logistic regression offered insights into the factors associated with neural tube defects. The results were systematically presented in both textual, tabular, graph formats to facilitate understanding and interpretation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 54,626 delivery records, 1,612 cases of NTDs were identified (1,434 NTD cases and 178 isolated hydrocephalus cases). The specific birth prevalence of NTDs was 262.5 per 10,000 (95% CI, 249.1-276.5 per 10,000), with NTDs being the predominant cause of stillbirths. Anencephaly (136.6 per 10,000), spina bifida (110.6 per 10,000) and encephalocele (15.4 per 10,000) were the most common defects. Risk factors for NTDs include maternal age (20-29 years), rural residency, first pregnancies, a history of early neonatal death, lack of folic acid and multivitamin use, as well as neonatal factors like stillbirth, male sex, and preterm birth.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study reveals the alarmingly high prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the Tigray region, with a birth prevalence of 262.5 per 10,000 births. Anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele were common, contributing to stillbirths. Risk factors include maternal age (20-29), rural residency, first pregnancies, lack of folic acid and multivitamins, and neonatal factors like male sex and preterm birth. The findings stress the need for public health interventions, including folic acid awareness, better prenatal care, maternal nutrition research, stronger health systems, and a national surveillance system to prevent birth defects.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"108"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11789397/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143122106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Maternal malnutrition, particularly among adolescent pregnant women, is a significant public health issue globally, with far-reaching consequences for both maternal and fetal health. It increases the risk of complications such as stillbirth, low birth weight,preterm birth, uterine bleeding, and other pregnancy-related issues.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among adolescent pregnant women (aged < 20 years) in the Dolo-Ado town, Somali region, Ethiopia.
Methods and materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1-30, 2022, involving 380 pregnant adolescents randomly selected from the Dolo-Ado town. A structured, pretested questionnaire was used to gather data on socio-demographics, maternal nutrition, and obstetric characteristics. Nutritional status was assessed using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), with undernutrition defined as MUAC ≤ 22 cm. Data were collected via home visits, and the accuracy of anthropometric measurements was standardized through training and pretesting. Descriptive statistics were used for data description, and binary logistic regression was performed to explore the associations between independent and dependent variables.
Results: A total of 380 pregnant adolescents participated, achieving a 100% response rate. The mean age of the participants was 17.7 (± 0.78) years. Approximately 32.1% of the participants experienced food insecurity, and only 3% met the minimum dietary diversity score. The prevalence of undernutrition was 21% (79/380), as indicated by a MUAC of < 22 cm.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant adolescent women in Dolo-Ado poses a significant public health concern. Key factors associated with undernutrition include maternal education [AOR] of 3.9; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.9-8.0), rural residence (AOR of 12; 95% CI: 3.5-42.9), low family income (AOR of 2.6; 95% CI: 1.2-5.4), food insecurity (AOR of 6.2; 95% CI: 2.8-13.9), iron-folic acid supplementation (AOR of 3.6; 95% CI: 1.7-7.5), and low dietary diversity intake (AOR of 13.1; 95% CI: 2.2-77.3). Therefore, targeted efforts to address family income, household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and access to iron-folic acid supplementation should be prioritized by both government and non-governmental organizations for pregnant adolescents.
{"title":"Prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among adolescent pregnant women in Dolo-Ado town, Somali region, Ethiopia.","authors":"Abdirahman Ahmed, Abdulkarim Mohammed, Mahamed Dol Ateye, Saleha Abdusamed","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07153-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07153-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Maternal malnutrition, particularly among adolescent pregnant women, is a significant public health issue globally, with far-reaching consequences for both maternal and fetal health. It increases the risk of complications such as stillbirth, low birth weight,preterm birth, uterine bleeding, and other pregnancy-related issues.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among adolescent pregnant women (aged < 20 years) in the Dolo-Ado town, Somali region, Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods and materials: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1-30, 2022, involving 380 pregnant adolescents randomly selected from the Dolo-Ado town. A structured, pretested questionnaire was used to gather data on socio-demographics, maternal nutrition, and obstetric characteristics. Nutritional status was assessed using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), with undernutrition defined as MUAC ≤ 22 cm. Data were collected via home visits, and the accuracy of anthropometric measurements was standardized through training and pretesting. Descriptive statistics were used for data description, and binary logistic regression was performed to explore the associations between independent and dependent variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 380 pregnant adolescents participated, achieving a 100% response rate. The mean age of the participants was 17.7 (± 0.78) years. Approximately 32.1% of the participants experienced food insecurity, and only 3% met the minimum dietary diversity score. The prevalence of undernutrition was 21% (79/380), as indicated by a MUAC of < 22 cm.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The high prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant adolescent women in Dolo-Ado poses a significant public health concern. Key factors associated with undernutrition include maternal education [AOR] of 3.9; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.9-8.0), rural residence (AOR of 12; 95% CI: 3.5-42.9), low family income (AOR of 2.6; 95% CI: 1.2-5.4), food insecurity (AOR of 6.2; 95% CI: 2.8-13.9), iron-folic acid supplementation (AOR of 3.6; 95% CI: 1.7-7.5), and low dietary diversity intake (AOR of 13.1; 95% CI: 2.2-77.3). Therefore, targeted efforts to address family income, household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and access to iron-folic acid supplementation should be prioritized by both government and non-governmental organizations for pregnant adolescents.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11786326/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143073723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objective: Caesarean section (CS) rates in Sri Lanka have escalated significantly, with projections indicating that over half of all births may involve CS by 2025. To address this rise and mitigate maternal morbidity, it is essential that CS procedures are medically justified. This study evaluates RobsApp®, a novel smartphone application designed to collect high-quality prospective data on CS rates based on the Robson classification.
Methods: The study utilized RobsApp® for data collection in the Professorial Unit of De Soysa Hospital for Women (DSHW), Sri Lanka. Data were collected prospectively from 1,712 deliveries between April and October 2019. The analysis focused on CS rates across different Robson categories and the quality of the collected data, comparing them with previous data obtained using traditional methods.
Results: The overall CS rate was 33.0%, with Robson category 5a accounting for most cases. Emergency CS constituted 49.6% of all procedures, with cardiotocograph (CTG) abnormalities being the leading indication. The quality of the data collected through RobsApp® met the standards recommended by the Robson guidance, as evidenced by the study's ability to accurately categorize deliveries and assess CS rates.
Conclusions: RobsApp® has proven to be an effective tool for prospective data collection, aligning well with Robson guidelines and facilitating high-quality data gathering. The study reveals a rising trend in CS rates at DSHW, particularly for reasons beyond previous CS. The inclusion of demographic data and birth weight analysis in future studies will enhance comparisons and insights into reducing CS rates.
Ethics: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (Ref - EC-19-024) which waived the need for individual consent. Study adhered to the Helsinki Declaration.
{"title":"Evaluation of caesarean rates according to Robson classification using a newly developed smart phone application in a tertiary center in Sri Lanka: a comparative study.","authors":"Chandana Jayasundara, Indunil Piyadigama, Asanka Jayawardane, Ananda Perera","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07165-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07165-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Caesarean section (CS) rates in Sri Lanka have escalated significantly, with projections indicating that over half of all births may involve CS by 2025. To address this rise and mitigate maternal morbidity, it is essential that CS procedures are medically justified. This study evaluates RobsApp®, a novel smartphone application designed to collect high-quality prospective data on CS rates based on the Robson classification.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study utilized RobsApp® for data collection in the Professorial Unit of De Soysa Hospital for Women (DSHW), Sri Lanka. Data were collected prospectively from 1,712 deliveries between April and October 2019. The analysis focused on CS rates across different Robson categories and the quality of the collected data, comparing them with previous data obtained using traditional methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall CS rate was 33.0%, with Robson category 5a accounting for most cases. Emergency CS constituted 49.6% of all procedures, with cardiotocograph (CTG) abnormalities being the leading indication. The quality of the data collected through RobsApp® met the standards recommended by the Robson guidance, as evidenced by the study's ability to accurately categorize deliveries and assess CS rates.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>RobsApp® has proven to be an effective tool for prospective data collection, aligning well with Robson guidelines and facilitating high-quality data gathering. The study reveals a rising trend in CS rates at DSHW, particularly for reasons beyond previous CS. The inclusion of demographic data and birth weight analysis in future studies will enhance comparisons and insights into reducing CS rates.</p><p><strong>Ethics: </strong>Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (Ref - EC-19-024) which waived the need for individual consent. Study adhered to the Helsinki Declaration.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"104"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11786396/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143073693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Maternal health care services and women's empowerment have received attention in the Sustainable Development Goals. Limited evidence exists on the extent of distribution of antenatal care services across the ladder of women's empowerment in Ethiopia. In this study, we sought to shed light on whether and how such disparities changed over time.
Methods: Data for the study came from the 2000 and 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys. The outcome variables were three measures of antenatal care services: quality antenatal care, early antenatal care, and four or more antenatal care services. Women's empowerment was measured through a newly developed index, SWPER Global. Specifically, we used two domains of the measure: attitude to violence and social independence. Disparities in antenatal care services were measured using the Erreygers concentration index, Relative Index of Inequality, Average marginal effect, and second difference of the average marginal effects. We decomposed the concentration index to study the contributions of different factors to the empowerment disparities in the services in 2000 and 2016 as well as to the over-time change in the disparities. The Oaxaca-type decomposition technique was applied to investigate social determinants' role on the change in the disparities between 2000 and 2016. A generalized linear regression model was used for the analyses.
Results: According to the concentration index, women's empowerment disparities in the utilization of antenatal care services existed in both surveys, where the services were disproportionately concentrated among women with better levels of empowerment. By the measure of average marginal effect, there were disparities favoring empowered women based mainly on the point estimates, except that the attitude toward violence disparity in 2016 occurred to the advantage of poorly empowered women. However, the confidence intervals suggest mixed findings. The concentration indices showed that disparities mostly increased in 2016 and the change was underpinned by the changes in the inequalities of various factors and sensitivities of antenatal care services with respect to these variables, such as wealth, maternal education, media exposure, place of residence, and women's empowerment itself. Overall, the results of the second difference showed no large change in the disparities between 2000 and 2016. However, relative disparities decreased substantially during the same time.
Conclusions: While concentration index-based absolute inequalities increased, relative inequalities decreased, suggesting the importance of using both absolute and relative measures in a study. The decomposition analyses suggest that working on the equitable distribution of social determinants could improve empowerment disparities in antenatal care services.
{"title":"Level of and trends in women's empowerment inequalities in antenatal care services in Ethiopia: further analysis of the Ethiopia demographic and health surveys, 2000-16.","authors":"Gebretsadik Shibre, Wubegzier Mekonnen, Damen Haile Mariam","doi":"10.1186/s12884-025-07223-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12884-025-07223-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Maternal health care services and women's empowerment have received attention in the Sustainable Development Goals. Limited evidence exists on the extent of distribution of antenatal care services across the ladder of women's empowerment in Ethiopia. In this study, we sought to shed light on whether and how such disparities changed over time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data for the study came from the 2000 and 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys. The outcome variables were three measures of antenatal care services: quality antenatal care, early antenatal care, and four or more antenatal care services. Women's empowerment was measured through a newly developed index, SWPER Global. Specifically, we used two domains of the measure: attitude to violence and social independence. Disparities in antenatal care services were measured using the Erreygers concentration index, Relative Index of Inequality, Average marginal effect, and second difference of the average marginal effects. We decomposed the concentration index to study the contributions of different factors to the empowerment disparities in the services in 2000 and 2016 as well as to the over-time change in the disparities. The Oaxaca-type decomposition technique was applied to investigate social determinants' role on the change in the disparities between 2000 and 2016. A generalized linear regression model was used for the analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to the concentration index, women's empowerment disparities in the utilization of antenatal care services existed in both surveys, where the services were disproportionately concentrated among women with better levels of empowerment. By the measure of average marginal effect, there were disparities favoring empowered women based mainly on the point estimates, except that the attitude toward violence disparity in 2016 occurred to the advantage of poorly empowered women. However, the confidence intervals suggest mixed findings. The concentration indices showed that disparities mostly increased in 2016 and the change was underpinned by the changes in the inequalities of various factors and sensitivities of antenatal care services with respect to these variables, such as wealth, maternal education, media exposure, place of residence, and women's empowerment itself. Overall, the results of the second difference showed no large change in the disparities between 2000 and 2016. However, relative disparities decreased substantially during the same time.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While concentration index-based absolute inequalities increased, relative inequalities decreased, suggesting the importance of using both absolute and relative measures in a study. The decomposition analyses suggest that working on the equitable distribution of social determinants could improve empowerment disparities in antenatal care services.</p>","PeriodicalId":9033,"journal":{"name":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","volume":"25 1","pages":"102"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11786562/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143073746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}