Table 2 Characteristics of included studies (n = 56)

Study methods

Quantitative

33(58.9)

[2,3,4,5, 8, 9, 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22, 24, 28,29,30, 32, 33, 36, 47,48,49,50,51, 61, 65, 66]

Qualitative

18 (32.1)

[1, 23, 26, 27, 34, 35, 52,53,54,55,56, 59, 62,63,64, 67,68,69]

Mixed-Methods (qualitative + quantitative)

5 (8.9)

[10, 25, 57, 58, 60]

Study’s focus

Antenatal care

16 (28.6)

[2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11,12,13,14,15,16, 48, 54,55,56,56, 59]

Breastfeeding

12 (21.4)

[18,19,20,21,22,23,24, 26, 49, 52, 53, 57]

Delivery (institutional/home)

5 (8.9)

[17, 25, 64, 68, 69]

Postnatal care

8 (14.3)

[1, 27,28,29,30, 61, 62, 67]

Antenatal care and delivery care

2 (3.6)

[4, 34]

Antenatal care and postnatal care

3 (5.4)

[32, 47, 63]

Postnatal care and delivery care

1 (1.8)

[10]

Continuum of care (ANC, child delivery, breastfeeding, PNC)

9 (16.1)

[35, 36, 50, 51, 58, 60, 65,66,67]

Study year

2010

1 (1.8)

[17]

2011

3 (5.4)

[4, 32, 51]

2012

-

-

2013

2 (3.6)

[33, 50]

2014

5 (8.9)

[18, 29, 30, 36, 58]

2015

2 (3.6)

[9, 68]

2016

5 (8.9)

[11, 12, 25, 53, 63]

2017

4 (7.1)

[47, 55, 60, 64]

2018

6 (10.7)

[1, 27, 34, 61, 67, 69]

2019

8 (14.3)

[2, 5, 19,20,21, 28, 54, 66]

2020

11 (19.6)

[13, 14, 22, 23, 26, 48, 49, 52, 56, 59, 62]

2021

7 (12.5)

[8, 10, 15, 16, 24, 57, 65]

2022

2 (3.6)

[3, 35]

Data source

Primary data

46 (82.1)

[1, 4, 9,10,11, 13,14,15,16, 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27, 29, 30, 33,34,35, 47, 48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64]

Secondary data

10 (17.9)

[2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 17, 28, 32, 36, 65]

Sample size

< 50

10 (17.9)

[1, 26, 33, 35, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 68]

50–100

7 (12.5)

[10, 22, 23, 27, 34, 58, 59]

101–200

8 (14.3)

[15, 16, 49, 50, 61, 62, 64, 69]

201–500

13 (23.2)

[4, 9, 11, 13, 19,20,21, 24, 25, 30, 47, 57, 63]

501–1000

5 (8.9)

[14, 18, 29, 33, 51]

More than 1000

13 (23.2)

[2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 17, 28, 32, 36, 65, 48, 60, 66]

Method of data collection

NFHS/DLHS/CNSS

9 (16.1)

[2, 3, 8, 12, 17, 28, 32, 36, 65]

Community-based cross-sectional Study

18 (32.1)

[4, 5, 9, 11, 13,14,15, 20, 21, 24, 29, 30, 33, 46, 49,50,51, 65]

Cohort study

1 (1.8)

[57]

Hospital/clinic based cross sectional study

6 (10.7)

[16, 18, 19, 22, 49, 61]

Key informants/IDI

7 (12.5)

[1, 26, 34, 35, 55, 59, 64]

FGD/Case study

7 (12.5)

[23, 27, 53, 54, 62, 63, 68]

FGD and IDI

4 (7.1)

[67, 52, 56, 69]

Community-based cross-sectional study and FGD/IDI

4 (7.1)

[10, 25, 58, 60]

Geographic settings

National ^a

6 (10.7)

[2, 12, 17, 36, 64, 65]

Multistate ^b

1 (1.8)

[5]

EAG focused states ^c

2 (3.6)

[3, 8]

State ^d

5 (8.9)

[1, 23, 28, 32, 63]

District/Sub-district level ^e

16 (28.6)

[14, 15, 20, 21, 23, 24, 29, 33,34,35, 48, 60, 62, 66,67,68]

Other ^f

26 (46.4)

[4, 9,10,11, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25,26,27, 30, 47, 49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59, 61, 69]