Indications and Determinants of Cesarean Section: A Cross-Sectional Study

Cesarean section is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in obstetric practice for saving the lives of women and their newborns from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications. Its prevalence has increased alarmingly in the last few years, which has motivated this research to identify the indications and determinants, influencing cesarean section delivery in the study area and determine the associated correlates for emergency and elective cesarean sections.

This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care center from April 2019 to September 2019. A quantitative tool was designed to capture all the relevant information regarding sociodemographic factors, obstetric characteristics, and indications of cesarean section among the pregnant women delivering at the tertiary care center.

A total of 150 women with cesarean deliveries were included in this study. The percentage of primigravida women was significantly higher among emergency than elective cesarean section (χ² = 28.19, P = 0.0001). Majority of the women were illiterate or had primary education in emergency cesarean section than elective (χ² = 44.9691, P = 0.0001). Majority of the women with no or only one antenatal visit underwent emergency than elective cesarean sections (χ² = 42.2195, P = 0.0001). Those females who presented with previous Lower Segment Cesarean Section (LSCS) had greater chances of elective cesarean section, and it was statistically significant (P = 0.004).

The increase in cesarean section rate causes burden to the general health system and also strain on the family members. Hence, caution should be exercised in decision-making to perform cesarean section, especially for primigravida, and a comprehensive evidence-based approach needs to monitor the indication of cesarean section.