Facilitators and barriers to seeking and engaging with antenatal care in high-income countries: A meta-synthesis of qualitative research.

ABSTRACT: Inadequate attendance to antenatal care has been associated with negative maternal and fetal outcomes, including stillbirth. This study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to antenatal care attendance. A systematic search was conducted in March 2019 and updated in January 2021. Qualitative studies involving pregnant or post-partum women up to 12 months from high-income countries that provided data about facilitators and barriers to antenatal care attendance were sought. Meta-ethnography was used to inform this meta-synthesis. Fifteen studies were included in the analysis. Findings indicate that inadequate antenatal care attendance is influenced at different levels. Aspects like sociodemographic factors, difficulties navigating the health system, administrative delays, lack of flexi

SUBMITTER: Escanuela Sanchez T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10092326 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature