Ethnicity Coding in European Maternity Care Services – Practices and Analytical Approaches to Evaluate Disparities: A Scoping Review Protocol PRISMA ScR Checklist

European research consistently highlights that women from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds are at higher risk of negative clinical outcomes and patient experience. However, problems with ethnicity data collection, coding, and use limit the capacity of healthcare systems to assess and respond accordingly. This scoping review aims to map the current coding practices and describe the evidence base on 1) how ethnicity is defined and recorded in maternity care and clinical research in Europe, and 2) how ethnicity is analysed in studies involving maternity populations evaluating disparities in clinical outcomes.