Peer-reviewed article
A systematic review of group education or one‐on‐one counseling for the prevention of female genital mutilation in communities that perform female genital mutilation
Anne Ndidi Meremikwu, Olabisi Adejibike Oduwole, Chyoma Oringanje, I. Abam Arikpo, Opara Sidney et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review examined whether group education or one-on-one counseling can prevent female genital mutilation (FGM) in communities where it is practiced. Four observational studies were included in the analysis. The review found that educational interventions improved knowledge about FGM and its health complications, changed attitudes against FGM, and increased commitment not to perform it. The evidence quality was rated as very low to low, meaning the findings should be interpreted cautiously.
Key points
- Group education plus information sharing increased knowledge about FGM and its complications by 3.09 times compared to no intervention
- Attitudes against FGM improved 1.92 times with group education plus information sharing versus no intervention
- Commitment not to perform FGM increased 1.95 times with group education plus information sharing
- Group education plus advocacy showed larger effects on commitment not to perform FGM (2.59 times) compared to group education alone
- Only four observational studies met inclusion criteria, limiting the strength of conclusions
Limitations
The review only included four observational studies with very low certainty of evidence, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about intervention effectiveness. The studies were from communities practicing FGM but the metadata suggests a US connection, so generalizability across settings is unclear.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice that violates the human rights of women and girls. Education plays a crucial role in stopping and preventing FGM by raising awareness through individual counseling, as well as group education at health facilities. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of group education or one-on-one FGM prevention counseling or information sharing in preventing FGM in communities that practice FGM. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched electronic databases from inception to May 2023 for published and gray literature, without language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: Controlled studies, including before-and-after studies were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Studies were independently assessed for inclusion, data extraction, risk of bias, and grading of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: Four observational studies were included. Very low-certainty evidence showed that a higher proportion of individuals in group education plus information sharing had improved knowledge about FGM and its complications (relative risk [RR] 3.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.56-3.74; 816 participants), attitude against FGM (RR 1.92, 95% CI 1.59-2.32; 816 participants), and commitment not perform FGM (RR 1.95, 95% CI 1.74-2.19; 816 participants) compared with "no intervention". Group education plus advocacy may improve knowledge about FGM and its complications (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.14-1.31; 819 participants), attitude (RR 2.16, 95% CI 1.79-2.61; 819 participants) and commitment to not perform FGM (RR 2.59, 95% CI 1.95-3.43; 819 participants) versus "no intervention". CONCLUSIONS: Community-based educational interventions may improve knowledge of FGM, its complications, and decrease support for FGM.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Group education or one-on-one counseling with information sharing and advocacy about FGM and its health complications
- Population
- Individuals (likely parents and community members) in communities that perform FGM; 816-819 participants across studies
Key finding
Knowledge about FGM and its complications: RR 3.09 (95% CI 2.56-3.74) for group education plus information sharing versus no intervention