Client satisfaction with abortion care service and its associated factors among women in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Geta Temesgen , Israel Eskinder , Kebede Christian 
Published: May 2024

Background

The client’s satisfaction after abortion care is the key to sustaining abortion care and increasing the health status of those who had complications from abortion. Nevertheless, research conducted in Ethiopia stated that the major problem is the need for post-abortion care for females. One of the ways to improve the qualities involved in post abortion care and decrease the mortality and morbidity rates caused by unsafe abortion is by ensuring client satisfaction with abortion care. Strategy making and policy formulation based on systematic review take on the highest priority in developing countries. However, although some independent studies had been carried out in Ethiopia, their findings might not have been representative and conclusive. The main purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis article is to establish the proportion of abortion clients who are satisfied with their abortion care and the factors that contribute to such satisfaction among clients in Ethiopia.

Methods and materials

Only published articles were considered in this review. The main databases included Medline/Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, Cinael, Med Nar, Google Scholar, Scopus, the Ethiopian University Repository Online, and the Cochrane Library. The review includes cross-sectional studies that meet the requirements and were written in English. A random effects model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence of client satisfaction with abortion care. The study heterogeneity was tested using Cochrane Q-Static and I2. Publication bias was checked using the Eggers test and funnel plot. PRISMA was used to select and direct the selection of articles for this review. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA version 14.

Result

A review of ten studies comprised 2740 women. In summary, the pooled prevalence of client’s satisfaction with abortion care in Ethiopia was 56.13% [95% CI (42.35; 69.91), I2 = 99.1%, p < 0.001]. In terms of subgroup analysis, Gambella had the highest prevalence of client satisfaction with abortion care at 87.40% [95% CI: 82.38 and 91.82]. However, Amhara had the lowest: 25.00% [95% CI: 21.59, 28.41]. The review also found that client satisfaction with abortion care had a statistical correlation with the type of procedure [OR: 0.25, CI [0.07, 0.42], I2: 76.9%, p-value: 0.041] and the participant’s education level [OR: 0.29, CI [0.09, 0.48], I2: 80.4%, p-value: 0.006].

Conclusion

This review found that 56% of Ethiopian women were satisfied with their abortion care. Since this requires a boost to the quality of abortion care in the health facility, understanding women’s expectations and perceptions, training of health care providers, and strict monitoring of the quality of abortion care services by stakeholders like the Ethiopian government, non-governmental organizations, and high-level management of the health facility would help to improve the level of women’s satisfaction with abortion care. Those factors, namely, the type of method to use for the patient and women’s educational level, should be changed through improving awareness among the patients about what procedure to conduct and the health education provided to women about abortion care.