Community-Level Interventions to Reduce Maternal Mortality
Author Information
Author(s): Elaine Kidney, Heather R Winter, Khalid S Khan, A Metin Gülmezoglu, Catherine A Meads, Jonathan J Deeks, Christine MacArthur
Primary Institution: University of Birmingham
Hypothesis
Community-level interventions can effectively reduce maternal mortality.
Conclusion
Community-level interventions of improved perinatal care practices can bring about a reduction in maternal mortality.
Supporting Evidence
- Five cluster randomised controlled trials and eight cohort studies were included in the review.
- Two high-quality cluster RCTs showed a statistically significant reduction in maternal mortality.
- Three equivalence RCTs showed no difference in maternal mortality.
- The cohort studies were of low quality and did not contribute further evidence.
Takeaway
This study shows that helping communities improve care for pregnant women can save lives.
Methodology
A systematic review of published and unpublished studies assessing community-level interventions aimed at reducing maternal mortality.
Potential Biases
High chance of selection bias in non-randomised studies.
Limitations
The review included only a few high-quality studies, and many non-randomised studies were of insufficient quality.
Participant Demographics
Women of childbearing age (15 to 49 years) participating in community-level interventions.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.042
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.39 to 0.98
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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