Introduction Pregnancy-related anaemia significantly affects human development across life stages. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), country-specific epidemiological variations primarily driven by nutritional practices, socioeconomic factors and health-system disparities contribute to heterogeneity in prevalence, severity and adverse birth outcomes (ABOs).
While anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies in pregnancy are well studied globally, comprehensive trimester-specific evidence and their associations with ABOs in SSA remain scarce. This review, therefore, examines the breadth and nature of existing evidence on these associations within SSA, thereby updating current knowledge and informing regionally tailored interventions and future research.
Methods and analysis A scoping review methodology will be employed due to the limited volume of literature addressing the specific research questions and population. The review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework, applying the population-concept-context approach.
Comprehensive searches will be conducted across CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Google Scholar, EBSCO Open Dissertations and relevant organisational websites. The planned search period will span from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2025.
Two reviewers will independently screen and extract data using JBI-adapted protocols within the Rayyan review platform.
BMJ Open published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 24 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Mapping the evidence on anaemia across trimesters of pregnancy and risk of adverse birth outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.
Review the original article for the full source wording and details.