Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28288565›Full record

SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2017

Healthcare workers' behaviors and personal determinants associated with providing adequate sexual and reproductive healthcare services in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

Kim Jonas, Rik Crutzen, Bart van den Borne, Priscilla Reddy

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
63citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
14.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

63 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 107 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Investigating Knowledge and Determinants of Birth Preparedness among Pregnant Women in Mangochi District.Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi · 2025
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3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.

Kim JonasDepartment of Health Promotion, School of Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Heath, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. kim.jonas@maastrichtuniversityt.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-4469-6674
Rik CrutzenDepartment of Health Promotion, School of Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Heath, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Bart van den BorneDepartment of Health Promotion, School of Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Heath, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Priscilla ReddyFaculty of Community and Health Science, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
Maastricht University · NLHuman Sciences Research Council · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHealthcare workers may affect the utilization of sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) services, and quality of care thereof, for example by their behaviours or attitudes they hold. This can become a hindrance to accessing and utilizing SRH services, particularly by young people, and thus a better understanding of these behaviours and associated factors is needed to improve access to and utilization of SRH services.

methodsA systematic review of literature was conducted to identify studies focusing on healthcare workers' behaviors and personal determinants associated with providing adequate SRH services in sub-Saharan Africa (January 1990 - October 2015). Five databases were searched until 30th October 2015, using a search strategy that was adapted based on the technical requirements of each specific database. Articles were independently screened for eligibility by two researchers. Of the 125-screened full-text articles, 35 studies met all the inclusion criteria.

resultsNegative behaviours and attitudes of healthcare workers, as well as other personal determinants, such as poor knowledge and skills of SRH services, and related factors, like availability of essential drugs and equipment are associated with provision of inadequate SRH services. Some healthcare workers still have negative attitudes towards young people using contraceptives and are more likely to limit access to and utilization of SRH by adolescents especially. Knowledge of and implementation of specific SRH components are below optimum levels according to the WHO recommended guidelines.

conclusionsHealthcare workers' negative behaviours and attitudes are unlikely to encourage women in general to access and utilize SRH services, but more specifically young women. Knowledge of SRH services, including basic emergency obstetric care (EmOC) is insufficient among healthcare workers in SSA.

trial registrationA protocol for this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO and the registration number is: CRD42015017509 .

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelClinical CompetenceHealth PersonnelQuality of Health CareAdolescentAdolescent Health ServicesAfrica South of the SaharaAge FactorsContraceptive AgentsHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMaternal Health ServicesReproductive Health ServicesContraceptive AgentsAdolescent healthChild healthHealthcare servicesHealthcare worker behaviourMaternal healthPersonal determinantsSexual and reproductive healthcareSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID28288565
PMCPMC5348841
OpenAlexW2596872170

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.