Determinants of Cesarean Delivery During Wartime in Atbara, Sudan: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND

Maintaining an optimal balance in cesarean delivery rates is important to prevent both overuse and underuse of the procedure. Efforts to optimize cesarean delivery rates should consider sociodemographic and obstetric risk factors.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted on women who gave birth in Atbara Maternity Hospital to assess risk factors associated with cesarean deliveries. A questionnaire and hospital records were used to collect data.

RESULTS

The cesarean delivery rate during the study period was 406 (39.69%). The study participants were 187 in the case group and 187 in the control group. The multiple regression analysis showed that history of previous cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 43.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 19.11-97.86, p ˂ 0.001) and rural residence (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.01-2.97, p= 0.045) were important determinants of cesarean delivery. Other factors, including age, parity, body mass index, educational level, consanguinity, displacement, maternal employment, number of antenatal care visits, previous history of miscarriage, and newborn birth weight, gender, and outcome, were not associated with cesarean delivery.

CONCLUSION

The history of previous cesarean deliveries and rural residences were the main determinants of cesarean deliveries in this study.