Public Health & Health Science Division, ULAB

Maternal mortality remains a significant global health challenge, with roughly 300,000 maternal deaths occurring annually, most of which are preventable. The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and maternal mortality rates (MMR) has been widely studied, with a growing body of evidence suggesting that lower SES is associated with higher MMR. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between SES and MMR across different countries. We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases and included studies that reported the association between SES and MMR. We used a random-effects model to estimate the overall effect size and explored potential sources of heterogeneity using subgroup analyses. Our findings suggest that there is a significant inverse association between SES and MMR, with higher SES being associated with lower MMR. However, the magnitude of the effect varied across different regions, with the strongest association observed in low and middle-income countries. While previous studies have examined the relationship between various variables, they often do so within a narrow context, focusing on specific regions or communities. As a result, the findings of such studies may not be generalizable or applicable to other settings. Our research, therefore, takes a more comprehensive approach, examining the interplay between SES and MMR across different regions and countries, and considering a range of social, economic, and health-related factors that could potentially influence this relationship. Our research employs a meta-analysis of research papers and scientific data, this approach allowed for a more comprehensive and rigorous examination of the research question and can help identify patterns and trends across studies. A systematic literature search/screening coupled with data extraction from online databases informed our results