Is preterm birth associated with intimate partner violence and maternal malnutrition during pregnancy in Ethiopia? A systematic review and meta analysis

Abstract

Background: Despite remarkable progress in the reduction of under-five mortality, preterm birth associated mortality and morbidity remains a major public health problem in Sub-saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, study findings on the association of preterm birth with intimate partner violence and maternal malnutrition have been inconsistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the pooled effect of intimate partner violence and maternal malnutrition on preterm birth. Methods: International databases including PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library, were systematically searched. All identified observational studies and/or predictors were included. I 2 statistics and Egger's test were used to assess the heterogeneity and publication biases of the studies. A random-effects model was computed to estimate the prevalence and its determinants of preterm birth. Results: The random effects meta-analysis showed that a pooled national prevalence of preterm birth was 13% (95% CI: 10.0%, 16.0%). The highest prevalence of preterm birth was 25% (95% CI: 21.0%, 30.0%) in Harar, and the lowest prevalence was 8% in Southern Nations Nationalities People of Representatives. The meta-analysis suggested a decrease in preterm birth of up to 61% among women receiving antenatal care [POR ¼ 0.39 (95% CI: 0.21, 0.72)]. Women who experienced intimate partner violence [POR ¼ 2.52 (95% CI: 1.68, 3.78)], malnutrition during pregnancy [POR ¼ 2.00 (95% CI: 1.16, 3.46)], and previous preterm birth [POR ¼ 3.73 (95% CI: 2.37, 5.88)] had significantly higher odds of preterm birth. Conclusion: One in every eight live births in Ethiopia were preterm. Women who experienced intimate partner violence, malnutrition, and had previous preterm exposure were significantly associated with preterm birth. Thus, improving antenatal care visits and screening women who experience previous preterm birth are key interventions. The Federal Ministry of Health could be instrumental in preventing intimate partner violence and improving the nutritional status of pregnant women through proper and widespread implementation of programs to reduce preterm birth.

The Association between Domestic Violence and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Women Seeking Antenatal Care at Public Hospitals in Gedeo Zone: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…This is similar with a study done in Nepal [41]. However, this contradicts the ndings of Lee et al, Holmes and Kim from the Center on Trauma and Adversity at Case Western Reserve University, Donovan et al, and Yimer et al [24,[42][43][44]. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that our sample size was too small and there was a selection bias during the recruitment phase of our study.…”

Prevalence of harmful traditional practices during pregnancy and associated factors in Southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

“…This could result in preterm birth and low birth weight. 26 27 This finding was higher than the findings of the studies conducted in a Gurage zone, Amhara and Afar regions 3 17 22 23 while lower than a study conducted in Wonago town. 20 …”

“…In contrast to this, our study showed that 48.6% of women avoided nutritious foods (dairy products, meat, egg, honey, vegetables and fruits) during their pregnancy. This could result in preterm birth and low birth weight 26 27. This finding was higher than the findings of the studies conducted in a Gurage zone, Amhara and Afar regions 3 17 22 23 while lower than a study conducted in Wonago town 20…”

Intimate Partner Violence and Children Under 5 Morbidities and Mortality in Afghanistan: Findings From a National Survey

“…This emphasizes the key role of adequate maternity care in shaping the offspring’s health, and the programs and intervention should be directed more toward enhancing access to maternity care for women who experience IPV through sustainable and secure measures by which the women could be protected from further harm. Moreover, it has been suggested that the nutrition of women and their children could significantly be influenced by IPV; literature indicates poor food-seeking behaviors and limited access to nutritional supplements among victims owing to the abusive behavior of their husbands, and this may lead to malnutrition in women and thus their children (Desta et al, 2021; Ferdos & Rahman, 2018; Ziaei et al, 2014). In addition, maternal malnutrition may lead to low birth weight and smaller size at birth, which increase the mortality and morbidity of the newborn (Chai et al, 2016; Mondal & Paul, 2020).…”