Effect of Childbirth Care Methods on Birth Experience and Satisfaction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: Women's satisfaction with their childbirth experience is crucial in determining their likelihood of undergoing a cesarean section (CS) in future pregnancies. However, there is a significant gap in investigating the effectiveness of maternity care methods during childbirth on women's satisfaction. This systematic review and meta -analysis aimed to fill this gap by assessing the impact of care methods on women's satisfaction with the childbirth experience. Methods: We conducted an extensive literature search using electronic databases such as Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, ProQuest, Cochrane library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, SID and Magiran from 1990 to June 2023. Studies were included if they were published in English, examined the effect of childbirth care interventions on women's satisfaction, and reported sufficient data to calculate the mean difference or standardized mean difference. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochran's risk of bias tool. Results: Our search yielded 9 relevant studies with moderate quality. These interventions were categorized into three types as follows: continuous care, respectful care, and care based on effective communication. The meta -analysis revealed that communication-based care methods significantly improved women's satisfaction with the childbirth experience (mean difference [MD]: 4.73; 95% CI: 1.35 to 8.11; P = 0.001) and overall childbirth experience (MD: 11.04; 95% CI: -4.34 to 26.42; P = 0.001). The heterogeneity among the studies was high (I 2 = 98%). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the methods of childbirth care play a substantial role in creating a pleasant experience and improving women's satisfaction. However, more studies with robust methodology and standardized instruments are required to determine the efficacy of such care in diverse cultural contexts, particularly in countries with high CS rates. Moreover, healthcare providers and policymakers must prioritize communicative dignity-based care during childbirth to enhance women's experiences and reduce the likelihood of CS.