Prevalence and Factors Associated with Caeserean Section Among Mothers Delivering at Muhima District Hospital

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the prevalence and factors associated with caesarean section among expectant women who had delivered from Muhima hospital. Caesarean section is on the rise globally as well as national average where it accounts 24% of all deliveries conducted in hospitals and this increase has exceeded 15% which is recommended by WHO. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an interview administered questionnaire and data extracted from obstetric chart review between May and June 2022 at Muhima hospital. A sample of 350 pregnant women that gave birth at Muhima District hospital were chosen using a convenience sampling process, whereby every mother that delivered at latter hospital was given same chances of being enrolled into the study. Data was analysed by use of IBM® SPSS 21 version. Out of 350 pregnant women had delivered at Muhima district hospital, 132 women had been delivered by CS making the prevalence of cesarean section to be 37.7%. Factors associated with CS delivery that were found to be significant were maternal age above 30 years (AOR=2.5,95%CI, 1.1-5.6, P=0.03) being single marital status (AOR=2.5,95%CI, 1.2-5.2, P=0.013) and delivering a baby weighing above 4000 grams (AOR=2.5,95%CI, 0.8-7.2, P=0.103). In conclusion, four out of ten pregnant women had delivered by CS at Muhima district hospital. This was common among older maternal age, being single mother, and delivering of big babies. Thus, it is evident that the prevalence of caesarean section is a growing concern in Muhima District Hospital, with a significant number of women undergoing this procedure. Depending on these factors, the country needs further national level policy decisions to reduce the attributed barriers. There is a need to develop and implement targeted educational programs and counselling services for expectant women, particularly older, single, or expecting big babies. These programs emphasize the importance of prenatal care, the risks and benefits of caesarean sections, and possible alternatives to reduce the likelihood of unnecessary caesarean deliveries. Also, it is recommended to strengthen healthcare provider training and adherence to clinical guidelines for caesarean sections. Moreover, it is essential to establish a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system to track the rate of caesarean sections in the hospital and identify trends in specific patient populations. Keywords: Cesarean section, Prevalence, Factors, Pregnant women.