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. 2023 Jun;8(6):e011981.
doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-011981.

Interventions to improve migrants' access to sexual and reproductive health services: a scoping review

Oumnia Bouaddi #  1   2   3 , Saad Zbiri  1   2   3 , Zakaria Belrhiti #  4   2   3
Affiliations

Interventions to improve migrants' access to sexual and reproductive health services: a scoping review

Oumnia Bouaddi et al. BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Migrants' access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is constrained by several individual, organisational and structural barriers. To address these barriers, many interventions have been developed and implemented worldwide to facilitate the access and utilisation of SRH services for migrant populations. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the characteristics and scope of interventions, their underlying theory of change, reported outcomes and key enablers and challenges to improve access to SRH services for migrants.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) guidelines. We searched three electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus and Google Scholar) and carried out additional searches using manual searching and citations tracking of empirical studies addressing interventions aimed at improving access and utilisation of SRH services for migrant populations published in Arabic, French or English between 4 September 1997 and 31 December 2022.

Results: We screened a total of 4267 papers, and 47 papers met our inclusion criteria. We identified different forms of interventions: comprehensive (multiple individual, organisational and structural components) and focused interventions addressing specific individual attributes (knowledge, attitude, perceptions and behaviours). Comprehensive interventions also address structural and organisational barriers (ie, the ability to pay). The results suggest that coconstruction of interventions enables the building of contextual sensitive educational contents and improved communication and self-empowerment as well as self-efficacy of migrant populations, and thus improved access to SRH.

Conclusion: More attention needs to be placed on participative approaches in developing interventions for migrants to improve access to SRH services.

Keywords: Health education and promotion; Health systems evaluation; Intervention study; Maternal health; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flowchart. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses; SRH, sexual and reproductive health.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Individual, organisational and institutional-related outcomes. SRH, sexual and reproductive health.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Causal loop diagram of how migrants’ SRH access intervention may work. B, balancing feedback loop; R, reinforcing feedback loop. SRH, sexual and reproductive health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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