Induced abortion and its associated factors among female students in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Objective: To assess the pooled prevalence of induced abortion and its associated factors among female students in sub-Saharan Africa.
Method: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, The Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI), African Journals Online, and Google Scholar. Articles published from January 1, 2000, to March 30, 2025, were included. Both peer-reviewed published articles and grey literature were included in this review. Two authors extracted all relevant data using a standardized data extraction format in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which was then exported to Stata 17 for analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted using the Der Simonian and Laird random-effects model. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of a single study on the overall prevalence. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. A funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to assess publication bias, which was addressed using trim-and-fill analysis.
Result: A total of 41 primary studies involving 18,741 female students were included in this systematic review. The pooled prevalence of induced abortion among female students in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region was found to be 13% (95% CI: 9%–18%). In the subgroup analysis, female students from the western sub-region had a higher prevalence compared to other sub-regions. Additionally, tertiary-level students had a higher prevalence of induced abortion compared to secondary-level students. Alcohol consumption was a significant factor associated with induced abortion in this study.
Conclusion: Female students in sub-Saharan Africa experience a high prevalence of induced abortion, with subgroup analyses indicating higher rates in West Africa and among tertiary students compared with secondary students. Alcohol consumption was associated with induced abortion. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to limitations in study design, small numbers of studies for some factors, and substantial heterogeneity. Nevertheless, the study provides preliminary evidence to inform future research and guide context-specific interventions.
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BibTeX
@article{alemu2026induced,
title = {{Induced abortion and its associated factors among female students in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis}},
author = {Eyob Akalewold Alemu and Fetlework Gubena Arage and Gebrie Getu Alemu and Getaneh Awoke Yismaw and Habtamu Abebe Getahun and Habtamu Wagnew Abuhay and Mekuriaw Nibret Aweke and Meron Asmamaw Alemayehu and Nebiyu Mekonnen Derseh and Tigist Kifle Tsegaw and Tilahun Yemanu Birhan and Banchlay Addis and Berhanie Addis Ayele and Emebet Birhanu Lealem},
journal = {Systematic Reviews},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s13643-026-03336-1},
url = {https://link.springer.com/10.1186/s13643-026-03336-1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Induced abortion and its associated factors among female students in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Eyob Akalewold Alemu
AU - Fetlework Gubena Arage
AU - Gebrie Getu Alemu
AU - Getaneh Awoke Yismaw
AU - Habtamu Abebe Getahun
AU - Habtamu Wagnew Abuhay
AU - Mekuriaw Nibret Aweke
AU - Meron Asmamaw Alemayehu
AU - Nebiyu Mekonnen Derseh
AU - Tigist Kifle Tsegaw
AU - Tilahun Yemanu Birhan
AU - Banchlay Addis
AU - Berhanie Addis Ayele
AU - Emebet Birhanu Lealem
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - Systematic Reviews
DO - 10.1186/s13643-026-03336-1
UR - https://link.springer.com/10.1186/s13643-026-03336-1
AB - Objective: To assess the pooled prevalence of induced abortion and its associated factors among female students in sub-Saharan Africa. Method: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, The Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI), African Journals Online, and Google Scholar. Articles published from January 1, 2000, to March 30, 2025, were included. Both peer-reviewed published articles and grey literature were included in this review. Two authors extracted all relevant data using a standardized data extraction format in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which was then exported to Stata 17 for analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted using the Der Simonian and Laird random-effects model. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of a single study on the overall prevalence. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. A funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to assess publication bias, which was addressed using trim-and-fill analysis. Result: A total of 41 primary studies involving 18,741 female students were included in this systematic review. The pooled prevalence of induced abortion among female students in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region was found to be 13% (95% CI: 9%–18%). In the subgroup analysis, female students from the western sub-region had a higher prevalence compared to other sub-regions. Additionally, tertiary-level students had a higher prevalence of induced abortion compared to secondary-level students. Alcohol consumption was a significant factor associated with induced abortion in this study. Conclusion: Female students in sub-Saharan Africa experience a high prevalence of induced abortion, with subgroup analyses indicating higher rates in West Africa and among tertiary students compared with secondary students. Alcohol consumption was associated with induced abortion. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to limitations in study design, small numbers of studies for some factors, and substantial heterogeneity. Nevertheless, the study provides preliminary evidence to inform future research and guide context-specific interventions.
SN - 2046-4053
ER -