Evaluation of Prevalence of Obstetric Violence and its Associated Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Ebru Küçük, Kıymet Yeşilçiçek Çalik
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined obstetric violence (OV) during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period among women aged 18 years and older. It included 41 quantitative studies with 43,977 participants from 17 countries. The pooled prevalence of OV was 61.7% (95% CI [0.549, 0.680]), with substantial between-study heterogeneity (I²: 99.258%). Meta-regression found that country, national income level, study setting, study design, and risk of bias significantly affected estimates. Narrative synthesis identified 40 risk factors and 14 protective factors.
Key findings
- Across 41 studies and 43,977 participants in 17 countries, pooled OV prevalence was 61.7% (95% CI [0.549, 0.680]).
- Prevalence estimates showed substantial heterogeneity (I²: 99.258%).
- Country, income level, study setting, study design, and risk of bias significantly affected OV estimates in meta-regression.
- Narrative synthesis identified 40 risk factors and 14 protective factors.
Why it matters
The review indicates that mistreatment may occur across the continuum from pregnancy through postpartum, rather than being confined to labor. Its high pooled prevalence underscores the importance of recognizing OV as a broad care-quality concern. The identified variation and associated factors also suggest that prevalence estimates and potential responses need to be interpreted in their study and country contexts.
What to keep in mind
The very high heterogeneity (I²: 99.258%) limits how uniformly the pooled prevalence can be applied across settings. The evidence was drawn from quantitative cohort, descriptive, and cross-sectional studies.