Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32894127›Full record

SynthesisBMC international health and human rights2020

Disrespect and abuse of women during the process of childbirth at health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zemenu Yohannes Kassa, Berhan Tsegaye, Abebaw Abeje

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC international health and human rights, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
58citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 4% 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

58 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 94 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Trial
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. A cross-sectional survey of men's attitudes towards public health services and their utilisation practices in Limpopo Province, South Africa.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2026
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Experiences of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization European region: A mixed-method study among 22 countries.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Assessment of Maternal Satisfaction with Childbirth Services at Secondary Healthcare Facilities in District Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India-A Mixed Method Study.Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine · 2025
    Article
  20. Article
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

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Zemenu Yohannes KassaDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia. zemenu2013@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-3496-7493
Berhan TsegayeDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
Abebaw AbejeDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
Hawassa University · ET

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDisrespectful and abusive treatment of women by health care providers during the process of childbirth at health facility is an international problem. There is a lack of data on disrespect and abuse of women during the process of childbirth at health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of disrespect and abuse of women during the process of childbirth at health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa.

methodsThe PRISMA guideline protocol was followed to write the systematic review and meta-analysis. Published studies were searched from Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Maternal and infant care, science direct, and PsycINFO. Articles were accessed by three reviewers (ZY, BT and AA) using the following key terms, "attitude of health personnel" AND "delivery obstetrics*/nursing" OR "maternity care" AND "disrespect" OR "abuse" OR "professional misconduct" AND "parturition" AND "prevalence" AND "professional-patient relations" AND "Sub-Saharan Africa". Additional articles were retrieved by cross referencing of reference. The heterogeneity of studies were weighed using Cochran's Q test and I

resultsThirty three studies met the inclusion and included in this systematic review and meta-analysis of disrespect and abuse of women during the process of childbirth at health facilities. The pooled prevalence of disrespect and abuse women during the process of childbirth at health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa was 44.09% (95% CI: 29.94-58.24).Particularly physical abuse was 15.77% (95% CI: 13.38-18.15), non-confidential care was 16.87% (95% CI: 14.49-19.24), abandonment was 16.86% (95% CI: 13.88-19.84) and detention was 4.81% (95% CI: 3.96-5.67).

conclusionIn this study disrespect and abuse of women during the process of childbirth at health facilities are high compared with other studies, particularly non-confidential care and abandonment his high compared with other studies. This study points out that the ministry of health, health care providers, maternal health experts shall due attention to women's right during the process of childbirth at health facilities.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelProfessional MisconductProfessional-Patient RelationsAdultAfrica South of the SaharaFemaleHealth FacilitiesHumansParturitionPhysical AbusePregnancyAbuseChildbirthDisrespectMeta-analysisSub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID32894127
PMCPMC7487593
OpenAlexW3083500249

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.