Page 14 - IJPS-10-1

International Journal of
Population Studies COVID-19 and access to family planning in Africa

Databases search returns = 5416 (i.e. Other sources (Google Scholar)
Identification MEDLINE (3888) Bioline (24) (14)
WoS (1404), AJOL (100),

Number of articles after removing Excluded articles = 5164
duplicates and reviewing titles = 266 articles
Screening

Number of articles reviewed by
abstracts and methods = 266 articles
Eligibility Excluded articles = 97

full-text articles assessed for Reasons for these exclusions
include:
eligibility = 133 articles inclusion of men;
articles were commentaries;
articles were reviews; or
articles were secondary.
Included Articles included in final articles were on women with
peculiar health needs i.e.
review = 36 articles
pastoralist. Mentally challenged,
refugees and sex workers
Figure 1. Flow chart of the article selection process

2.5. Characteristics of selected studies et al., 2019), while a quantitative design was adopted for
As illustrated in Table 1, the studies selected for this review the remainder (88.9%). Furthermore, 64% of the reviewed
originated from nine countries in SSA, with the majority studies represented the pre-COVID-19 period.
emanating from Nigeria (13 articles) (Adefalu et al., 2019; 3. Results
Aliyu et al., 2015; Anate et al., 2021; Aniwada et al., 2017;
Bolarinwa et al., 2021; Chingle et al., 2013; Esike et al., As previously mentioned, all studies included in this
2017; Idowu et al., 2020; Ogboghodo et al., 2017; Olarewaju review are primary research endeavors that encompass the
et al., 2019; Umoh & Abah, 2011; Umukoro et al., 2020; population (adolescent girls and women), concepts (access
Utoo & Araoye, 2012), followed by Ethiopia (10 articles) to family planning services), and context (SSA) of interest.
(Alemayehu et al., 2021; Dingeta et al., 2021; Ejeta et al., It is pertinent to point out that the concept of access to
2021; Endriyas et al., 2017; Gebremedhin et al., 2018; family planning services is inferred from the ability of
Gujo & Kare, 2021; Melka et al., 2015; Melkie et al., 2021; adolescent girls and women to uptake family planning
Mokwena Kebogile & Bogale Yenealem Reta, 2017; Tilahun services during the two periods of interest. Articles
et al., 2022). Kenya contributed four articles (Mukthar reviewed during the COVID-19 period employed terms
et al., 2014; Mumbo et al., 2021; Ontiri et al., 2019; Owuor such as “uptake,” “utilization,” and “use” to characterize
et al., 2018), while Ghana had three studies (Afriyie & access to family planning services. In contrast, studies
Tarkang, 2019; Apanga & Adam, 2015; Krakowiak-Redd reviewed during the pre-COVID-19 period, in addition to
et al., 2011). Uganda had two articles selected for review using “uptake,” “utilization,” and “use,” also incorporated
(Muyama et al., 2020; Ouma et al., 2015). One article each terms such as “practice” and “acceptance” to describe
was reviewed from Rwanda (Uwimbabazi et al., 2020), the family planning uptake. For the purpose of this study,
Gambia (Anyanwu & Alida, 2017), Tanzania (Damian et al., adolescent girls and women of reproductive age whose
2018), and Lesotho (Akintade et al., 2011). Consequently, use of any family planning method were described by any
the coverage of this review spans across the Western, of these terms are considered to have a form of access to
Southern, and Eastern countries in SSA. In addition, two family planning.
studies followed a qualitative design (5.5%) (Adefalu et al., Through our overall comprehensive search, we
2019; Uwimbabazi et al., 2020) and two articles adopted a identified no cross-sectional primary study that met our
mixed-method design (5.5%) (Endriyas et al., 2017; Ontiri inclusion criteria and specifically addressed the direct

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.365