Application of geographic information systems in maternal health: a scoping review

Improving maternal health is a global health priority and requires accurate evaluation of factors affecting maternal health. Geographic information systems have been used to explore maternal health problems.

The aim of this study was to identify studies that used geographic information systems in the field of maternal health care and to determine maternal health and mortality variables visualized on these systems.

This was a scoping review in which we systematically searched PubMed and Science Direct for studies that used geographic information systems to evaluate maternal health care. We included all relevant cross-sectional studies published in English between December 1995 and December 2017. We extracted the following information from each study included: study year, region, objectives, type of geographic information system used, variables visualized by the geographic information system, and all other variables examined that related to maternal health.

Of 5240 articles initially retrieved, 40 were included for detailed review. Most of the studies (n = 32) were done in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Most of the studies (n = 33) visualized mothers' distance to health facilities and travel time to health care centres on geographic information systems. Other factors examined included antenatal care capacity (n = 4) and capacity of maternal health services (n = 3).

Comprehensive research on the application of geographic information systems in maternal care is lacking. Most studies applied simple descriptive mapping of spatial distribution patterns with a few relevant variables.