Refugee and asylum seekers’ engagement with health services during pregnancy: A rapid review

The objective of this work was to summarise and describe antenatal care experiences of people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds living in high-income countries with universal healthcare. Academic articles from six databases and grey literature from selected government websites were systematically searched for English-language articles published 2012-2022. Articles describing perinatal care of people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds from the service user and service providers perspective were eligible for inclusion. A thematic synthesis of included articles was undertaken with study quality assessed using Critical Appraisal Sills Program tools. Of the 37 included articles, there were seven qualitative, 15 quantitative, two mixed-methods studies and 13 reviews. Articles were conducted in Australia (57%), Canada (11%), and the remainder from Europe. Three recurring themes of communication, sociocultural and health system factors were described as barriers or challenges to antenatal care experiences but also presented opportunities for improving care. Many issues around antenatal care experiences for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds remain the same as those identified over ten years ago. To improve antenatal care for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, health services could implement a range of strategies that support communication, sociocultural experiences and system-related issues.