Prevalence and Determinants of Caesarean Section in South and South-east Asian Women

Abstract

BackgroundCaesarean section is considered a preferable and safe method of delivery. In the last decade, its prevalence has increased in both developed and developing countries. In the context of developing countries viz., South Asia (the highest populated region) and South-east Asia (the third highest populated region), the preference for, and variation in, caesarean section delivery and its associated maternal socioeconomic characteristics are still to be determined.\n\nObjectiveTo study the magnitude of caesarean delivery in the South and South-east Asian countries, by correlating the maternal socioeconomic characteristics with the preference for caesarean sections.\n\nMethodologyData on ever-married women of nine developing countries of South and South-east Asia viz., Vietnam, India, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia, from Demographic and Health Survey has considered. Both bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability that a woman undergoes caesarean section and to assess the influence of maternal socioeconomic characteristics towards the preference for caesarean section.\n\nConclusionIn seven urban and four rural regions of nine South and South-East Asian countries, a significant inclination towards the caesarean delivery above the more recent outdate WHO recommended optimal range of 10-15% or the more recent study by top researchers of 19% has been found. The analysis confirmed that the prevalence of caesarean section and its associated maternal socioeconomic characteristics varied widely among these nine South and South-East Asian countries.