Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40228853›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2025

Prevalence of unintended pregnancy in the MENA region: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Nazmul Islam, Sadia Mahmood, Humayun Kabir, Saifur Rahman Chowdhury, Usra Elshaikh, Nour Alhussaini, Md Shariful Islam, Mahbuba Jafrin Tania, Tawanda Chivese

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

9 authors.

Nazmul IslamDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Sadia MahmoodEndocrinology Department, Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Humayun KabirDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3278-6584
Saifur Rahman ChowdhuryDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Usra ElshaikhDepartment of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Doha, Qatar.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2896-7649
Nour AlhussainiDepartment of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Doha, Qatar.
Md Shariful IslamSchool of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Mahbuba Jafrin TaniaDepartment of Public Health Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Västra Götaland, Sweden.
Tawanda ChiveseDivision of Science and Mathematics, University of Washington Tacoma School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Tacoma, Washington, USA tchivese@uw.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6621-6144

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnintended pregnancies pose significant public health challenges globally, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where cultural, religious and societal factors play the most substantial role. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the pooled prevalence and factors associated with unintended pregnancies in the MENA region.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review to identify relevant studies in Medical Literature Analysis and Retriaval System (MEDLINE), Embase and Scopus published on unintended pregnancies until July 2024. We included studies that were conducted on unintended pregnancy prevalence within MENA countries and employed suitable measurement tools. We analysed data from 40 studies involving 34 837 participants across the region, including Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. We used a random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence of unintended pregnancy.

resultsIn this meta-analysis, we found that the overall prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 27.0% (95% CI 25.0% to 30.0%) in the MENA region, and the certainty of the evidence was moderate. Saudi Arabia had the highest prevalence of unintended pregnancy at 32.0% (95% CI 27.0% to 38.0%). A lower prevalence, 10.0% (95% CI 8.0% to 14.0%), was found in the studies that used validated tools compared with non-validated tools to measure unintended pregnancy. Between 2006 and 2010, the prevalence was 34.0% (95% CI 28.0% to 40.0%), the highest compared to other time periods . Age, rural areas, education, employment, economic status, parity, gravidity, history of miscarriage, previous pregnancies or abortion, non-use or failure of contraception methods, limited antenatal care, were associated with unintended pregnancies.

conclusionOur findings suggest that the MENA region faces a substantial burden of unintended pregnancies, with variations among countries and over time. The results emphasise the need for evidence-based interventions to address this issue, focusing on factors associated with unintended pregnancy.

Indexed as

Pregnancy, UnplannedAfrica, NorthernFemaleHumansMiddle EastPregnancyPrevalenceMeta-AnalysisPregnant WomenREPRODUCTIVE MEDICINERisk FactorsSEXUAL MEDICINESystematic Review

Identifiers

PMID40228853
PMCPMC11997837

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.