Supports and services available to at-risk mothers and their children in maternity residences: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify, categorize, and map the types of supports and services available to at-risk mothers and their children in maternity residences. A secondary objective is to identify and map the measures used to evaluate the efficacy of these supports and services. Introduction: Pregnant and parenting women and their children experiencing complex challenges related to the social determinants of health, including unstable housing and poverty, are at high-risk for long-term negative health and socioeconomic outcomes. Maternity residences may provide supports and services that improve this population’s outcomes, however, there is little understanding of what services are offered and how efficacious they may be. A comprehensive overview of supports and services in maternity residences, as well as identifying the measures used to evaluate the efficacy of the supports and services, will provide the foundation to evaluate these services and outcomes and inform the development of future maternity residential programs. Inclusion criteria: Studies including pregnant and parenting women and gender-diverse individuals who are housed in, or accessing the services of, maternity residences in politically stable high-income countries due to challenges rooted in the social determinants of health will be considered for inclusion. We define maternity residences as any agency with a residential component offering supports/services to this population Methods: This review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The data will be analyzed using a quantitative descriptive analysis approach. The data analysis and discussion will informed by the Social Determinants of Health, Reproductive Justice, Harm Reduction, and Health in All Policies frameworks.