Table 1.
Main characteristics of 16 studies on interventions to increase AVB use
| Characteristic | Studies (n) | References |
| Economic category (UN)* | ||
| Low income | 3 | Dumont et al (Mali), Geelhoed et al, Nolens et al 29 31 40 |
| Lower-middle income | 7 | Ameh et al, Berglund et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Dumont et al (Senegal), Dominico et al, Mogilevkina et al, Sorensen et al 26 28 30 40 42 46 47 |
| Upper-middle income | 2 | Gülmezoglu et al 41 (Mexico and Thailand) |
| High income | 6 | Bardos et al, Becker et al, Cottrell et al, Skinner et al, Solt et al, Takeda and Ohashi27 38 39 43–45 |
| Type of health facility† | ||
| Public | 12 | Ameh, Becker et al, Berglund et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Dominico et al, Dumont et al, Geelhoed et al, Gülmezoglu et al (Thailand), Mogilevkina et al, Nolens et al, Skinner et al, Sorensen et al 26 28 30 31 39 40 42 43 46 47 |
| Private | 1 | Solt et al 44 |
| Public and private | 2 | Bardos et al, Gülmezoglu et al (Mexico)38 |
| Unclear or not stated | 2 | Cottrell et al, Takeda and Ohashi27 45 |
| Location of facility | ||
| Urban areas | 14 | Ameh, Bardos et al, Becker et al, Berglund et al, Cottrell et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Dumont et al, Gülmezoglu et al, Mogilevkina et al, Nolens et al, Skinner et al, Solt et al, Sorensen et al, Takeda and Ohashi26–29 38–40 42–47 |
| Rural areas | 1 | Geelhoed et al 31 |
| Urban and rural areas | 1 | Dominico et al 30 |
| Number of facilities | ||
| 1 | 7 | Bardos et al, Becker et al, Cottrell et al, Nolens et al, Solt et al, Sorensen et al, Takeda and Ohashi26 27 29 38 39 44 45 |
| 3 | 2 | Berglund et al, Skinner et al 28 43 |
| 10–82 | 7 | Ameh, Sequeira Dmello et al, Dominico et al, Dumont et al, Geelhoed et al, Gülmezoglu et al, Mogilevkina et al 30 31 40 42 46 47 |
| Participants | ||
| Resident physicians | 4 | Bardos et al, Cottrell et al, Nolens et al, Solt et al 27 29 38 44 |
| Other physicians | 2 | Gülmezoglu et al, Takeda and Ohashi45 |
| >1 type of professional‡ | 8 | Ameh, Becker et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Dominico et al, Geelhoed et al, Mogilevkina et al, Skinner et al, Sorensen et al 26 30 31 39 42 43 46 47 |
| Unclear/not stated | 2 | Berglund et al, Dumont et al 28 40 |
| Type of instrument | ||
| Forceps | 2 | Bardos et al, Takeda and Ohashi38 45 |
| Vacuum | 7 | Ameh, Sequeira Dmello et al, Dominico et al, Geelhoed et al, Gülmezoglu et al, Nolens et al, Sorensen et al 26 29–31 42 47 |
| Forceps and vacuum | 6 | Becker et al, Cottrell et al, Dumont et al, Mogilevkina et al, Skinner et al, Solt et al 27 39 40 43 44 46 |
| Unclear/not stated | 1 | Berglund et al 28 |
| Year of publication | ||
| 2020 or later | 4 | Becker et al, Cottrell et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Mogilevkina et al 27 39 42 46 |
| 2010–2019 | 11 | Ameh, Bardos et al, Berglund et al, Dominico et al, Dumont et al, Geelhoed et al, Nolens et al, Skinner et al, Solt et al, Sorensen et al, Takeda and Ohashi26 28–31 38 40 43–45 47 |
| 2000–2009 | 1 | Gülmezoglu et al |
| Study design | ||
| Randomised trials | 3 | Ameh, Dumont et al, Gülmezoglu et al 40 47 |
| Before and after studies | 7 | Bardos et al, Berglund et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Mogilevkina et al, Nolens et al, Sorensen et al, Takeda and Ohashi26 28 29 38 42 45 46 |
| Interrupted time series | 3 | Dominico et al, Geelhoed et al, Skinner et al 30 31 43 |
| Cohort studies | 3 | Becker et al, Cottrell et al, Solt et al 27 39 44 |
| Risk of bias | ||
| Low | 4 | Ameh, Bardos et al, Dumont et al, Gülmezoglu et al 38 40 47 |
| Moderate | 8 | Berglund et al, Becker et al, Sequeira Dmello et al, Mogilevkina et al, Nolens et al, Skinner et al, Solt et al, Sorensen et al 26 28 29 39 42–44 46 |
| Serious | 3 | Cottrell et al, Dominico et al, Geelhoed et al 27 30 31 |
| Unclear§ | 1 | Takeda and Ohashi45 |
*One study (Dumont et al) conducted in two countries: Mali (low-income) and Senegal (lower-middle income).
†One study (Gülmezoglu et al) conducted in public facilities (Thailand) and public and private facilities (Mexico).
‡Doctors and nurse/midwives (Ameh, Sequeira Dmello et al, Geelhoed et al, Mogilevkina et al); doctors, advance level associate clinicians and assistant medical officers (Dominico et al); obstetricians and residents (Becker et al, Skinner et al); nurse-midwives, assistant medical officers, doctors (Sorensen et al).
§Risk of bias assessment not done for one study (Takeda and Ohashi) due to insufficient information.
AVB, assisted vaginal birth.