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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Research article

Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women: an updated meta-analysis

Authors: Kourosh Sayehmiri, Fariba Ebtekar, Mozhdeh Zarei, Reza Ghanei Gheshlagh

Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Unwanted pregnancy is a global issue with adverse outcomes for the mother, child, family, and society. Previous studies in Iran have reported different prevalence rates for unwanted pregnancy. This meta-analysis was aimed at estimating the overall prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women.

Methods

A total of 20 articles in English or Persian, published between 2012 and December 2018, were collected. The search was conducted in national and international databases, including Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, using the following keywords: ‘Unplanned pregnancy’, ‘Unintended pregnancy’, ‘Unwanted pregnancy’, and ‘Mistimed pregnancy’. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method and the random effects model. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. All analyses were performed using Stata, version 12.

Results

Analysis of 20 studies with a total sample size of 16,298 showed that the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women was 26% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 23–28). This prevalence was higher in the regions 5 and 2 of Iran (27%) than the other regions, and had no significant decrease between 2012 and 2018 (p = 0. 937).

Conclusion

More than one-fourth of pregnancies among Iranian women are unwanted. Providing training programs for couples who do not plan to have children along with the support policies aimed at stimulating population growth, can be an important step in overcoming the issue of unwanted pregnancy and reducing the illegal abortions related to it.
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Metadata
Title
Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy among Iranian women: an updated meta-analysis
Authors
Kourosh Sayehmiri
Fariba Ebtekar
Mozhdeh Zarei
Reza Ghanei Gheshlagh
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2640-9

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