AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightThe even higher CS rates among medical doctors suggest that although education campaigns might be usefulto reduce this risky health behavior, more radical steps need to be taken, including economic measures and policychanges,preferably the legislation by the state.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Objectives: The incidence rates of primary Cesarean section (CS) delivery in Turkey have jumped from 21.2% in 2003 to53.1% in 2016, exceeding by over thrice the maximum 15% recommended 30 years ago by the WHO. While this trendhas been partly attributed to maternal request, few studies have actually examined the delivery preferences of women.Even fewer studies have focused on health professionals as a parturient subpopulation. This study aims at determiningthe Turkish health personnel’s preferred types of birth, the reasons, and the factors associated with their preferences.Methods: Randomly selected from a total eligible population of 2032 female healthcare, the workers were activelyemployed during the study time in Erzurum, 450 women were surveyed in their work settings througha a 23-item structured questionnaire. Data for 412 women was analyzed using Student's T-test, Pearson’s Chi-Square test, and LogisticRegression analysis.Results: The participants gave birth to a total of 568 live deliveries, of which 331 (58.3%) were by CS. Out of the 288women who gave birth to a baby, 197 (68.4%) experienced at least one CS delivery. Medical doctors had the highestCS rates 85.5% (n=47), followed by academic staff 73.0% (n=27), paramedics, 72.2% (n=13), nurses 66.3% (n=53), andmidwives 58.2% (n=57) (Chi-Square=12.804, p=0.012). Of the participants, 165 (57.2%) had an antenatal visit to secondary care hospitals, while only 46 women (15.9%) visited their family physician.Conclusion: Compared to the general population, Cesarean deliveries are more common among Turkish health professionals. The even higher CS rates among medical doctors suggest that although education campaigns might be usefulto reduce this risky health behavior, more radical steps need to be taken, including economic measures and policychanges,preferably the legislation by the state.