Prevalence of caesarean section in Hunan Province from 2010 to 2014

Abstract

Objective To analyze the prevalence of caesarean section(CS) in Hunan province from 2010 to 2014 and provide some references for formulating control strategies of CS. Methods Descriptive study was used to analyze the prevalence of CS in Hunan province from 2010 to 2014. Results Overall, the CS rate of Hunan province was stable, with a range from 40.00% to 42.11%. The CS rate was also stable in some areas where health and human resources are adequate, but the CS rate trended to increase in some areas where sanitation and human resources are scarce. For provincial and municipal hospitals, the CS rate was significantly decreased. Of note, for county hospitals, although there is a falling trend for the prevalence of CS, this trend is not obvious. CS rate was ranged from 40% to 60% for provincial and municipal hospitals, 20% to 60% for county hospitals, 0% to 20% for township hospitals, and 20% to 60% for private hospitals. Conclusions The CS rate in Hunan province has been controlled, but it is still higher than the WHO-proposed standard value. The corresponding control strategies should be strengthened for both these areas with scarce health and human resources and medical institutions with a high rate of CS. Key words: Prevalence of caesarean section; Prevention and control; Strategy