The Magnitude of Cesarean Delivery and Associated Factors Among Women Who Gave Birth at Hospitals in Gimbi Town, West Wollega, Oromia, Ethiopia

Magnitude of Cesarean Delivery and Associated Factors Among Women Who Gave Birth at Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Caesarean section (C/S) is conducted after vaginal delivery is deemed unsafe due to absolute contraindications or when it poses significant risks to the health of the mother and/or fetus due to relative factors. It has proven to be a vital intervention in reducing maternal and perinatal illness and death. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of caesarean sections and identify the key factors influencing their occurrence in hospitals within Gimbi town. The absence of prior research in this specific area ensures the importance and timeliness of this investigation.

Method: A cross-sectional study design was employed at Gimbi town hospitals from September 21 to October 1, 2021, among 420 women’s charts from which the data were collected retrospectively.  A data extraction sheet was developed based on a previous study and the facility chart registry file. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1. After data cleaning was done, the data were moved to SPSS version 25.0 for further analysis and interpretation. Bidata analysis was conducted to screen the associations between the dependent variable and each independent variable. A variable with a p-value of < 0.25 was taken as a candidate variable for the final model, and was brought together with the final model. Within the final model, the degrees of association were quantified using Adjusted Odds Ratios, along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals, and a p-value of <0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.

Results: A total of 420 medical charts of women were reviewed during the study. The mean (+SD) age of the participants was 25+ 4.4. A mong total charts of mothers 57.9% of mothers were from rural areas,, 81% were Oromo in Ethnicity and almost all women’s 96.7% were married. In this study 52.4% of mothers were multi-gravida, 50.5% multipara, 71.7% of mothers have Antenatal Care (ANC)Follow up. Among all study respondents, only 60(14.3%) of them have previous caesarean section scar. The overall magnitude of the C/S was 33.3% with (95% CI: 28.8-37.8). In final model variable like the number of antenatal visits (AOR = 7.70, 95% CI: 1.79–33.17), the presence of risk factors (AOR = 3.39, 95% CI: 1.45–7.94), a history of adverse obstetric outcomes (AOR = 6.72, 95% CI: 2.81–16.10), and the utilization of a partograph (AOR = 6.72, 95% CI: 2.81-16.1) were significantly associated with caesarean section delivery.

Conclusion and recommendation: The magnitude of C/S delivery among mothers who gave birth at Gimbi town hospitals was significantly high. In opposite to the WHO standard of 10-15%. Variables like the frequency of antenatal care visits, presence of risk factors, bad obstetrics, and partograph utilisation were significant. Therefore, a caesarean section should be performed based on the principles set out in the national guideline.