Experiences and needs of women from ethnic minorities in maternity healthcare: A qualitative systematic review and meta-aggregation.
Women Birth
; 2022 Jun 15.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2236321
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To consolidate the available evidence around ethnic minority women's experiences and needs when accessing maternity care.METHODS:
A qualitative systematic review and meta-aggregation of qualitative data were conducted. Nine electronic databases were searched for qualitative or mixed-methods studies from the inception of each database until January 2022. Using the Nested-Knowledge software, meta-aggregation was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) data synthesis approach to identify all potential intersections between different themes. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) and the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) checklists for qualitative and mixed-methods studies, respectively.RESULTS:
Twenty-two studies (nineteen qualitative and three mixed-methods) were included. All studies were of good methodological quality. An overarching theme 'the struggles and fears of ethnic minority women' was identified. The negative experiences with maternity care were attributed to barriers including ineffective communication, cultural and religious insensitivity, inattentiveness and disregard for women's needs, and isolation-related impact due to the COVID pandemic.CONCLUSIONS:
Overall, our review highlighted several significant gaps between the care provided and the expected care among ethnic minority women accessing maternity care services. This mismatch between their expectations and care resulted in negative experiences, as the women reported being discriminated against and disrespected. There is an urgent need to develop and implement maternity care policies that are inclusive of needs of the ethnic minority women to optimize their maternity care experience.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Qualitative research
/
Reviews
/
Systematic review/Meta Analysis
Language:
English
Journal subject:
Nursing
/
Obstetrics
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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