SynthesisHealth services research2022
A systematic review of the qualitative literature on barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care among low-income women.
Synthesis in Health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Barriers to timely and adequate antenatal care: a systematic review of socioeconomic, cultural, psychosocial, and health-system factors across high and low resource settings.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- The effect of Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory-based care during pregnancy and postpartum period on health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of nursing practice · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review of the qualitative literature on barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care among low-income women.Health services research · 2022Pooled it
- Primary Care Utilization Within 1 Year After a Facilitated Postpartum-to-Primary Care Transition.Obstetrics and gynecology · 2025Trial
- Mapping the Postpartum Experience Through Obstetric Patient Navigation for Low-Income Individuals.Journal of women's health (2002) · 2024Trial
- Postpartum Primary Care Engagement Using Default Scheduling and Tailored Messaging: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2024Trial
- Patient Characteristics Associated With Group Prenatal Care Attendance in a Randomized Controlled Trial.Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's HealthTrial
- Experiences of healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic in remote Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories, Canada.International journal of circumpolar health · 2026Article
- North Carolina Trends in Prenatal Care: The Need for Greater Equity in Prenatal Care Access for Women of Color.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Delivery Timing, Out-Of-Pocket Maternity Costs, and Postpartum Care Utilization: An Instrumental Variable Analysis Among Commercially Insured Women.Health services research · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Testing After Positive Cell-Free DNA Screening for Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies: Clinical and Socioeconomic Determinants.Prenatal diagnosis · 2026Article
- Patient Perceptions of In-person and Telehealth Group Support for Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings · 2026Article
- Educational tools that address pregnancy-related complications in the postpartum period: A scoping review.Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Review
- Medicaid Expansion and Severe Maternal Morbidity During Delivery Hospitalizations.Obstetrics and gynecology · 2026Article
- Racial microaggressions in prenatal care settings and perceived quality of prenatal care among Black/African American women.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Unmet rehabilitation needs during pregnancy and the postpartum period in a rural, low-resource setting: a cross-sectional study.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Unveiling hidden heterogeneity and inequalities in the continuum of care for reproductive, maternal, and child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel latent class analysis approach.Global epidemiology · 2026Article
- Extended Pregnancy Medicaid During COVID-19 and Enrollment and Health Care Use in the Postpartum Year.The Milbank quarterly · 2026Article
- Racial Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the New Jersey Integrated Population Health Data Project.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- Postpartum Primary Care Engagement and Acute Care Use: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2026Observational
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo examine the qualitative literature on low-income women's perspectives on the barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY
settingWe performed searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, SocIndex, and CINAHL for peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2021. STUDY
designA systematic review of qualitative studies with participants who were currently pregnant or had delivered within the past 2 years and identified as low-income at delivery. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION
methodsTwo reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion, evaluated study quality, and extracted information on study design and themes. PRINCIPAL
findingsWe identified 34 studies that met inclusion criteria, including 23 focused on prenatal care, 6 on postpartum care, and 5 on both. The most frequently mentioned barriers to prenatal and postpartum care were structural. These included delays in gaining pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage, challenges finding providers who would accept Medicaid, lack of provider continuity, transportation and childcare hurdles, and legal system concerns. Individual-level factors, such as lack of awareness of pregnancy, denial of pregnancy, limited support, conflicting priorities, and indifference to pregnancy, also interfered with the timely use of prenatal and postpartum care. For those who accessed care, experiences of dismissal, discrimination, and disrespect related to race, insurance status, age, substance use, and language were common.
conclusionsOver a period of 30 years, qualitative studies have identified consistent structural and individual barriers to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care. Medicaid policy changes, including expanding presumptive eligibility, increased reimbursement rates for pregnancy services, payment for birth doula support, and extension of postpartum coverage, may help overcome these challenges.
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Registered trials
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.