Prevalence of Cesarean Delivery and Associated Factors among Women Attending a Comprehensive Hospital in Central Ethiopia, 2024

Fikreselassie Tilahun
Debre Berhan Comprehensive Hospital

Dr. Kumlachew Mergiaw
Debre Berhan University

Abstract

Background: A Cesarean delivery is an obstetric surgical procedure used to deliver a live baby by making incisions on the abdominal and uterine walls of a pregnant woman after 28 weeks of gestation. Although it reduces maternal and fetal deaths, it is becoming more common in countries worldwide, including in Ethiopia, where rates have gone above the level recommended by the World Health Organization. There is little research into how common it is in Ethiopia and what factors might be contributing to its use. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of cesarean deliveries and associated factors among women attending a comprehensive hospital in central Ethiopia in 2024. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study design with systematic random sampling was used to enrol 330 women. SPSS statistical package was used to analyse the data. Results were presented using descriptive and inferential statistics. A p-value below 0.05 was considered level of significance.

Results: The prevalence of cesarean delivery in the study hospital was 41.2%. Women with illiteracy (AOR: 0.202; 95% CI: 0.057 0.711), primary school level education (AOR: 0.256; 95% CI: 0.11-0.594), 1 to 4 times antenatal care follow-ups (AOR: 0.298; 95% CI: 0.138-0.646), gestational age of 37-42 weeks (AOR: 0.276; 95% CI: 0.075-0.992) and fetal weight less than 3.99 kilograms (AOR: 0.026; 95% CI: 0.005-0.148), were less likely to undergo cesarean delivery. Conclusion: The rate of cesarean deliveries in the study hospital was above the World Health Organization's suggested limit. Surprisingly, typical obstetric factors linked to cesarean deliveries did not show a significant statistical association with the procedure, suggesting that non-obstetric reasons might be influencing the decisions to perform cesarean deliveries at the study hospital.

Keywords: Cesarean delivery, prevalence, associated factors, central Ethiopia

Author Biographies

Fikreselassie Tilahun, Debre Berhan Comprehensive Hospital

Dr. Kumlachew Mergiaw, Debre Berhan University