Healthcare Providers’ Preconception Care Knowledge and Associated Factors in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Preconception care can play a critical role in reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity. It provided by knowledgeable healthcare providers is very important to reduce maternal and child mortality and morbidity. However, there are no available detailed review articles in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to ascertain the pooled knowledge of preconception care and related factors among Ethiopian healthcare providers. A variety of data sources, such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and African Journal Online were used to identify studies. A web search engine was used to search for relevant articles from January 1, 2023 to March 2, 2023. The data were extracted by Excel and analyzed using Stata 11 software. Pooled effect sizes were calculated based on the pooled prevalence of knowledge of preconception care and odds ratios for associated factors, with a 95% confidence interval indicating statistical significance. To evaluate statistical heterogeneity, the Cochrane Q test and I ² statistic were used. Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used the quality appraisal. Eight studies involving 3,848 healthcare providers were included. The pooled prevalence of a good knowledge of preconception care among healthcare providers in Ethiopia was 53.54 (95% CI [45.09, 61.98]), p  < .0001. Healthcare providers who had a degree and above educational status (AOR = 4.83; 95% CI [1.80, 12.96]), working at hospital health facilities (AOR = 2.97; 95% CI [2.07, 4.27]), ever reading preconception care guidelines (AOR = 3.49; 95% CI [2.39, 5.07]), availability of libraries at health facilities (AOR = 5.59; 95% CI [2.84, 11.04]), trained healthcare providers on HIV counseling and testing (AOR = 6.86; 95% CI [3.75, 12.53]), and trained healthcare providers on preconception care (AOR = 6.19; 95% CI [4.23, 9.06]) were predictors of a good knowledge with preconception care. Nearly half of healthcare providers do not have good knowledge of preconception care in Ethiopia. Therefore, healthcare providers’ knowledge of preconception care should be improved through preconception care and HIV counseling and testing training and access to guidelines, libraries, and the internet at nearby health facilities, especially at health centers. Finally, stakeholders collaborate with policymakers to develop strategies to improve healthcare providers’ preconception care good knowledge.