Abstract:
Background
A majority of women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are
not able to access healthcare information due to different factors. This scoping review
aimed to map the literature on access to healthcare information by women of reproductive
age in LMICs.
Methods
The literature search was conducted through the following databases: Google Scholar, Science
Direct, PubMed, EBSCOhost (Academic search complete, CINAHL with full text,
MEDLINE with full text, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO), Emerald, Embase, published and peerreviewed
journals, organizational projects, reference lists, and grey literature.
Results
A total of 377 457 articles were identified from all the databases searched. Of these, four
articles met inclusion criteria after full article screening and were included for data extraction.
The themes that emerged from our study are as follows: accessibility, financial accessibility/
affordability, connectivity, and challenges. This study demonstrated that there are minimal
interventions that enable women of reproductive age to access healthcare information in terms of accessibility, financial accessibility, and connectivity.
Conclusion
The findings of the study revealed poor access and utilization of healthcare information by
women of reproductive age. We, therefore, recommend primary studies in other LMICs to
determine the accessibility, financial accessibility, connectivity, and challenges faced by
women of reproductive age in LMICs.
