Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urinary Tract Infection in Pregnant Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are the second-most frequent bacterial infections, with an overall incidence of 5-10%. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with UTI in pregnant women. Method: A systematic search was conducted in the open domain, electronic databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. Citation searching was also performed to identify all relevant studies. All the steps were carried out by two independent reviewers to avoid bias. Based on inclusion & exclusion criteria, followed by qualitative evaluation, the studies were included and analyzed by fixed or random effects model using CMA. A sub-group analysis was also performed for Asian and African countries for prevalence and for different categories of risk factors. Results: Out of 45 studies, 41 studies were included for the prevalence of UTI in pregnant women and 19 studies were included to evaluate the risk factors. The pooled prevalence of UTI in African pregnant women was higher when compared to Asian pregnant women (28.6% vs. 20.7%). The risk factors statistically significantly associated with UTI were found to be undergarment texture (silk), history of catheterization, diabetes mellitus, past history of UTI and HIV. Conclusion: UTIs are prevalent in pregnant women in Asian and African pregnant women. Hence, identification of risk factors and frequent screening of UTIs during pregnancy is recommended to avoid maternal-fetal complications.