Identifying health outcomes and future research directions of group antenatal care among adolescents in low and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

Abstract

High maternal mortality and morbidity in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is a significant global concern, especially among adolescents due to the high birth rates. Providing quality antenatal care, such as group antenatal care (GANC), is vital for enhancing maternal and newborn health outcomes for adolescents. Research indicates that GANC has a positive impact on maternal health outcomes for pregnant women in general. However, there is a notable gap in studies that specifically examine its effects on adolescents in LMICs. This scoping review, following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, examines the impact of GANC versus individualised antenatal care for pregnant adolescents. After a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed literature, eight articles were included. Findings demonstrate that GANC leads to better adherence to care, increased empowerment through knowledge, enhanced social support and improved newborn health quality. However, there is a notable scarcity of research on GANC for adolescents in LMICs, highlighting the need for further studies to inform policy to create, implement and possibly scale up adolescent-friendly GANC. The insights gained from this review can be leveraged for further feasibility studies to explore cultural appropriateness, adolescent responsiveness and adolescent preferences for GANC.