UTILISATION OF SKILLED VERSUS UNSKILLED BIRTH ATTENDANCE AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN NIGERIA: A META-ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/ca53mm25Keywords:
Maternal health, Nigeria, Rural women, Skilled birth attendance, Unskilled birth attendanceAbstract
Utilisation of skilled birth attendance is a key strategy for reducing maternal mortality, yet rural women in Nigeria continue to experience poor access to skilled delivery care. Fragmented evidence has limited understanding of the magnitude and comparative utilisation of skilled and unskilled birth attendance in rural Nigeria. This review with meta-analysis examined the rate of skilled versus unskilled birth attendance utilization among rural women in Nigeria. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for English-language studies published between January 2021 and 2026. All articles selected employed observational design and all these studies reporting utilisation of skilled or unskilled birth attendance among rural Nigerian women were included. Study quality was assessed using the CASP tool. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using meta-analytic techniques and odds ratios were used to compare utilisation patterns. Seven studies involving 69,481 rural women were included. The pooled utilisation of skilled birth attendance was 41%, while unskilled birth attendance was 59%. Rural women were significantly more likely to utilise unskilled than skilled birth attendance (OR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.17–3.64; p = 0.011). Unskilled birth attendance remains predominant among rural women in Nigeria, highlighting persistent gaps in access to skilled delivery care. This study therefore recommends that, policies should prioritize expansion of accessible and acceptable skilled maternity services in rural communities to improve maternal health outcomes.
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