Health system-related barriers to prenatal care management in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of the qualitative literature.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate prenatal care (PNC) is essential for improving maternal and infant health; nevertheless, millions of women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not receive it properly. The objective of this review is to identify and summarize the qualitative studies that report on health system-related barriers in PNC management in LMICs. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in 2022. A range of electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Knowledge, CINHAL, SCOPUS, Embase, and Science Direct were searched for qualitative studies conducted in LMICs. The reference lists of eligible studies also were hand searched. The studies that reported health system-related barrier of PNC management from the perspectives of PNC stakeholders were considered for inclusion. Study quality assessment was performed applying the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist, and thematic analyses performed. RESULTS: Of the 32 included studies, 25 (78%) were published either in or after 2013. The total population sample included 1677 participants including 629 pregnant women, 122 mothers, 240 healthcare providers, 54 key informed, 164 women of childbearing age, 380 community members, and 88 participants from other groups (such as male partners and relatives). Of 32 studies meeting inclusion criteria, four major themes emerged: (1) healthcare provider-related issues; (2) service delivery issues; (3) inaccessible PNC; and (4) poor PNC infrastructure. CONCLUSION: This systematic review provided essential findings regarding PNC barriers in LMICs to help inform the development of effective PNC strategies and public policy programs.

Comparative Efficacy of Different Classes of Antiemetic Medications for the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting in Cesarean Section: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Antiemetic medications have been associated with the prevention of nausea and vomiting in cesarean section, although less is known about the comparative efficacy of different medication classes. Methods: We conducted a systematic review with network meta-analyses to compare and rank antiemetic medication classes (5-HT3 receptor antagonists, dopamine receptor antagonists, corticosteroids, antihistamines, anticholinergic agents, sedatives, and opioid antagonists or partial agonists) in terms of preventing intra- and postoperative nausea and vomiting among patients undergoing cesarean section. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated any antiemetic medication classes' treatment for target outcomes. Network meta-analysis was conducted with a frequentist approach using the R netmeta package. A total of 58 trials were included (6,665 women undergoing cesarean section; mean age, 28.1 years). Results: Compared with placebo, all interventions reduced the odds of intraoperative nausea (except antihistamines), intraoperative vomiting (except antihistamines), postoperative nausea (except anticholinergic agents and opioid antagonists), and postoperative vomiting (except opioid antagonists). In terms of intraoperative nausea and both intra- and postoperative vomiting, sedatives ranked first among other medication classes. Conclusions: The relative effect sizes for various classes of antiemetic medication in preventing nausea and vomiting in the cesarean section were modeled using the principles of network meta-analysis which may facilitate informed clinical decision-making.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Malnutrition Among 6-14-Year-Old Children in Iran.

Background: Malnutrition is a major public health issue worldwide. It has significant consequences, including weakened immune systems, which may lead to increased incidences of infectious disease and higher mortality, particularly in children. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to estimate the overall prevalence of malnutrition (wasting, underweight, and stunting) among children of 6-14 years of age in Iran. Methods: Data were collected in 2018 based on searches of the PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Information Database (SID), Magiran, Irandoc, and Iranmedex databases using the following keywords: childhood, childhood malnutrition, children, nutrition, malnutrition, wasting, underweight, stunting, child, student, boy, girl, cause, prevalence, and Iran, in order to identify studies eligible for inclusion in the review. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis, version 2 (CMA: 2) was used to estimate the overall prevalence of malnutrition. Results: Nine out of 328 articles were included in our analyses. The overall of wasting among children of 6-14 years of age in Iran based on the random-effects model (according to nine studies and 18,296 participants) was 12.5% (95% Confidence Interval, 7.1-21.2). The overall prevalence of underweight based on the random-effects model (according to 10 studies and 19,185 participants) was 19% (95% CI, 8.1-38.6). Also, the overall prevalence of stunting based on the random-effects model (according to 10 studies and 19,185 participants) was 20% (95% CI, 9.4-37.8). Conclusions: The results of this study show that the prevalence of malnutrition among 6-14-year-old children in Iran is similar to the global average. We need solutions that can be used for both prevention and reduction of malnutrition, especially in areas with middle or low socioeconomic status. It is necessary to identify factors associated with malnutrition in various geographic regions in order to implement appropriate programs based on factors with the highest impact in each region.

Challenges of routine diabetes care during COVID-19 era: A systematic search and narrative review.

BACKGROUND: The world is facing the current COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic response is affecting routine health care provision all over the world. We aimed to review the relevant literature and highlight challenges in the provision of routine care for patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Embase databases up till August 13, 2020 and retrieved relevant articles published on difficulties on routine diabetes management during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Through our reading of the recent literature discussing the difficulties of routine healthcare provision for patients with diabetes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we have identified nine themes as follows: lockdown of standard outpatient clinics, decreased inpatient capacity, staff shortage, medicine shortage, unaffordable medicine, delayed care seeking, limited self-care practice, transport difficulties, and undiagnosed cases/events. CONCLUSION: Diabetes management during lockdown is particularly challenging. This review specified a summary of difficulties of diabetes care during COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare policy makers as well as healthcare providers could take advantage of the results of this review to mitigate the adverse effect of the crisis on provision of routine care for diabetes as well as other chronic conditions.

Association between depression with glycemic control and its complications in type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: This study aims to determine the association between depression with glycemic control (HbA1c) and its complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that included 514 diabetic patients. The patients were randomly selected from among all type 2 diabetes patients referred to health and medical centers in Khorramabad town (Iran). Two questionnaires used for data collection. The first questionnaire included demographic information, diabetes and its complications and the second questionnaire was Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) which was used to assess depression. The stata software version 14 was used for data analysis. Then, for evaluate the association between depression with glycemic contol and its complications, Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were employed. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression in diabetic patients under study was 46.3% and for female and male was 49.6 and 36.8%; respectively. The results showed that 48.6% of diabetic patients did not have appropriate glycemic control status (HbA1c > 8). There was no significant association between glycemic control expressed as HbA1c levels and depression (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.87-1.57). By contrast, sex (OR: 2.03, CI 95%: 1.03-3.99), residence (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.28-2.91) and sexual complications (OR: 5.54, 95% CI: 1.07-27.87) have a significant statistical association with depression. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the high prevalence of depression in diabetic patients. However, there was no significant association between depression and glycemic control. The implementation of mental health screening for rapid diagnosis and timely treatment of depression seems essential in diabetic patients.