Brizan JB, Amabebe E. Maternal Obesity as a Risk Factor for Caesarean Delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.
Life (Basel) 2022;
12:life12060906. [PMID:
35743937 PMCID:
PMC9229092 DOI:
10.3390/life12060906]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Maternal obesity is associated with several adverse reproductive outcomes. It is a growing public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with low resources and capacity to care for the large, affected population. Objectives: To assess the evidence of maternal obesity as a risk factor for caesarean delivery in women in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A systematic review of relevant original articles using PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL was performed. Google Scholar and the reference lists of relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses were also searched for other eligible studies. Observational studies assessing maternal body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 before or during gestation and caesarean delivery as birth outcome were included. Results: All 17 studies were published between 2009 and 2021 and included 227,675 (236−153,102) participants. The prevalence of maternal obesity ranged from 3.9 to 44%. All except two studies (88%) indicated an association of obesity and risk of caesarean delivery in pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. Overweight/obese women had up to 4-fold increased risk of caesarean delivery compared to normal weight women. Three studies also reported a direct relationship between morbid obesity and prevalence of caesarean delivery in the sub-region. The risk of caesarean delivery appears to increase with increasing BMI e.g., >5 times in women with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 than in normal weight women. Conclusions: In sub-Saharan Africa, increased BMI in pregnancy is a risk factor for subsequent caesarean delivery. The risk of caesarean delivery appears to increase with increasing BMI. A robust meta-analysis and other patho-mechanistic studies can be conducted to confirm causal association. Culturally appropriate weight management and nutritional interventions should be implemented to reduce the incidence of obesity-induced caesarean delivery in sub-Saharan Africa.
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