Effects of community participation on improving uptake of skilled care for maternal and newborn health: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite a broad consensus that communities should be actively involved in improving their own health, evidence for the effect of community participation on specific health outcomes is limited. We examine the effectiveness of community participation interventions in maternal and newborn health, asking: did participation improve outcomes? We also look at how the impact of community participation has been assessed, particularly through randomised controlled trials, and make recommendations for future research. We highlight the importance of qualitative investigation, suggesting key areas for qualitative data reporting alongside quantitative work.

Methods and findings

Systematic review of published and 'grey' literature from 1990. We searched 11 databases, and followe

SUBMITTER: Marston C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3563661 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature