Gaps in maternal, newborn, and child health research: a scoping review of 72 years in Ethiopia

ObjectivesDespite significant reductions in maternal and child mortality over the past few decades, a disproportionate number of global deaths occur in low and middle-income country settings, such as Ethiopia. To prioritize research questions that would generate policy recommendations for better outcomes, we conducted a scoping review that gathers the current knowledge of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and illustrates remaining gaps in Ethiopia. DesignScoping review. MethodsWe conducted a search strategy from 1946-2018 in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the WHO African Index Medicus. The study team of reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-texts; abstracted data; and reconciled differences in pairs. Descriptive analyses were conducted. ResultsWe identified 7,829 unique articles of which 2,170 were included. Most MNCH publications in Ethiopia (70.0%) were published in the last decade, 2010-2018. Most studies included children aged one to less than 10 years old (30.5%), women of reproductive age (22.0%), and pregnant women (21.9%); fewer studies included newborns (7.0%), infants (6.6%), and postpartum women (2.9%). Research topics included demographics and social determinants of health (43.4%), nutrition (15.3%), and infectious diseases (13.0%). There were limited studies on violence (1.4%), preterm birth (0.8%), antenatal/postpartum depression (0.7%), stillbirths (0.1%), and accidents (0.1%). Most study designs were cross-sectional (53.6%). A few study designs included prospective cohort studies (5.5%) and randomized control trials (2.3%). ConclusionsThis is the first scoping review to describe the landscape of MNCH research in Ethiopia. Understanding the depth of existing knowledge will support the prioritization and development of future research questions. Additional studies are needed to focus on the neonatal, infant, and postpartum populations as well as preterm and stillbirth outcomes. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDYO_LITo our knowledge, this is the first published review to have comprehensively described or summarized this body of literature in Ethiopia, allowing for a deeper understanding of the expanse of existing knowledge. C_LIO_LIA quality assessment of each study was not feasible due to the broad range of included topics; however, one may be conducted in the future to further refine results. C_LIO_LIAlthough conclusions may not be widely generalizable beyond Ethiopia, this review may inform the need to conduct similar reviews for all sub-Saharan countries to support effective prioritization of future research questions. C_LI