{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T00:27:38Z","timestamp":1781656058354,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]],"date-time":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751328000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]],"date-time":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751328000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["SAGE Open Medicine"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Preconception care involves measures to enhance a woman\u2019s physical, psychological, and nutritional health before pregnancy. Despite various observational studies assessing healthcare practitioners\u2019 knowledge of preconception care in East Africa, the overall pooled knowledge level remains unclear, and the studies often report inconsistent associated factors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the aggregated knowledge of preconception care among healthcare providers in East Africa and identify influencing factors.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We searched studies using PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar that were published between January 01, 2018 and November 30, 2024. This study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. The quality of studies was evaluated using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment tool. The data were extracted by two authors independently using Microsoft Excel and analyzed by Stata version 17. A random effects model was applied to calculate the pooled level of knowledge and its associated factors. The International Prospective Register of Systematic Review registration number for the review was CRD42024608878.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 12 studies comprising 4892 participants were involved in this meta-analysis. The pooled knowledge of preconception care among healthcare providers was 56% (95% CI: 45%\u201366%). This study showed that gender (odds ratio (OR)\u2009=\u20091.35), educational level (OR\u2009=\u20093.52), monthly salary (OR), work experience (OR\u2009=\u20091.77), Internet access (OR\u2009=\u20093.41), ever read the preconception care guideline (OR\u2009=\u20092.77), having Smartphone (OR\u2009=\u20091.70), working institution (OR\u2009=\u20092.05), Training on HIV testing and management (OR\u2009=\u20094.28), training on providing alcohol or tobacco cessation service (OR\u2009=\u20091.14), the presence of a library in a working health facility (OR\u2009=\u20091.98), taking training on preconception care education and counseling (OR\u2009=\u20093.44) were significant factors associated with knowledge of preconception care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings indicate that healthcare providers in East Africa have limited knowledge of preconception care. Gender, educational level, monthly salary, previous work experience, internet connection, awareness of preconception care policy, smartphone possession, type of work schedule, prior HIV testing, and management training, library access in healthcare facilities, and involvement in preconception care training meetings and counseling sessions are significant factors of the knowledge of preconception care among healthcare providers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/20503121251345598","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,25]],"date-time":"2025-08-25T07:09:35Z","timestamp":1756105775000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Knowledge of healthcare providers on preconception care in east Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2789-9963","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Birhan Ambachew","family":"Taye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistics, College of Natural Sciences, Woldia University, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Belyu Yehualashet","family":"Weldearegay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Woldia University, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muluemebet Kassa","family":"Mezen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Woldia University, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bantie Getnet","family":"Yirsaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fasiledes Fetene","family":"Asfaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistics, College of Natural Sciences, Woldia University, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shumye Tamrie","family":"Yerie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistics, College of Natural Sciences, Woldia University, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aychew Kassa","family":"Belete","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport Science, College of Natural Sciences, Woldia University, Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,25]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Defining preconception: exploring the concept of a preconception population","volume":"20","author":"Hill B","year":"2020","unstructured":"Hill B, Hall J, Skouteris H, et al. 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