ArticleSSM - population health2021
Prevalence of home birth among 880,345 women in 67 low- and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys.
Article in SSM - population health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluating the current methodological practices and issues in existing literature in pooling complex surveys: a systematic review.BMC medical research methodology · 2024Pooled it
- Prevalence of Women's Home Birth Preferences and Its Associated Factors in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.BioMed research international · 2024Pooled it
- A participatory systematic review on human rights and the birth of a child with albinism in sub-Saharan Africa.Women's health (London, England)Pooled it
- Time to diagnosis of acute kidney injury and its predictors among outborn neonates in India: a competing-risk analysis of tele-ICU network data (2022-2024).The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2026Article
- From Decision to Delivery: A Qualitative Study of Non-Institutional Birth Pathways in Northern India.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Rates and causes of neonatal and under-five mortality: insights from a national household survey in Pakistan.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- International disparities in use of antenatal magnesium sulfate and antenatal steroids for the preterm baby.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Review
- The Dual Role of Neonatal Pulse Oximetry Screening and Fetal Echocardiography in Congenital Heart Disease Detection Around the World.International journal of neonatal screening · 2026Review
- Review
- Prevalence and risk factors of home delivery among rural women: evidence from 28 African countries.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Characteristics and Determinants for Home Births in Rural Sierra Leone: A Cross-Sectional Study.Maternal and child health journal · 2026Article
- Impact of extreme precipitation events on facility-based births in 21 sub-Saharan African countries.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Examining women's choice between home and institutional births: Insights from the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative (SMI).PloS one · 2026Observational
- Registries and surveillance models used to screen neonates for congenital anomalies in LMIC settings: a scoping review.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Evaluating healthcare professionals' readiness for community-based kangaroo mother care in resource-limited setting.PloS one · 2026Article
- 'They treat you like their own' Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Postpartum Women Seeking Health Services from Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in Mayuge District East Central Uganda.Research square · 2025Article
- Women's experiences giving birth outside of health facilities in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Home birth and its associated factors among mothers aged 15-49 years in Somalia: a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Mortality risks of infants with unmeasured birth weight in 33 sub-Saharan African countries: an observational analysis.BMJ global health · 2025Observational
- Newborn screening for hearing and sight, Cameroon.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of home birth in low-middle income countries (LMIC) according to geographic area and sociodemographic characteristics between 2000 and 2019.
methodsA meta-analysis was carried out using the most recent demographic and health surveys as a data source (total countries: 67). A random-effects meta-analysis was obtained to calculate pooled prevalence estimates of home birth for all the countries included and by geographic region of the world. Likewise, a subgroup analysis was performed to estimate the prevalence of home birth according to the sociodemographic factors considered for this study.
resultsThe global prevalence of home birth was 28% (95% CI: 0.24-0.33), with the lowest prevalence in the region of Europe & Central Asia (5%, 95% CI: 0.03-0.07) and the highest in East Asia & Pacific region (38%, 95% CI: 0.26-0.51). Twelve countries had proportions of home births greater than 50% (seven belonged to the Sub-Saharan Africa region). The countries with the highest proportion of home births were Chad (78%), Ethiopia (73%), and Niger and Yemen (70% each). Concerning the wealth index, in general, the richest quintile (quintile 5) presented the lowest proportion of home births. In contrast, the poorest (quintile 1) generally had the highest prevalence of home births. Regarding educational level, women without education presented the highest proportions of home births in general. In relation to the area of residence, in almost all the countries studied, women in rural areas generally had a higher proportion of home births than those in urban areas.
conclusionsHome births occurred in approximately 3 out of 10 women in LMIC. There are also differences in the proportion of home births according to socioeconomic factors such as educational level, wealth index, and rurality.
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