Regional Disparities and Determinants of Caesarean Deliveries in India

Abstract

Background: The caesarean rate in India has been increased from 8.5% (NFHS-III) during 2005-06 to 17.2% (NFHS-IV) during 2015-16. Objective: The main objective of the study is to assess the regional disparities and determinants of caesarean deliveries in India. Material and Method: It is a descriptive study. The fourth round of National Family Health Survey, India (NFHS-4), conducted in 2015-16 has been analysed for the purpose of this study. Result: The study found that the C-section deliveries are significantly higher in southern region followed by western region in India. Social factors such as higher education of mother, residing in urban area, belong to richest wealth group, mothers belong to non-SC/ST category are more likely to opt for C-section delivery. Evidence also indicates that risk factors like high age of mother, high birth order, complicated pregnancy, multiple births, size of child at birth, weight of child at birth significantly influences the decision of C-section deliveries. Institutional and Individual Behavioural Factors such as number of ANC visit, place of delivery, access to mass media are also significant determinants of opting C-section delivery. Delivering high quality timely care and counselling measures throughout the gestation period as a measure to minimise C-section deliveries is the responsibility of every midwife healthcare provider, is an effective way. There is an urgent need to monitor the deliveries in clinics and hospitals to find out the right balance between demand and provisioning of high quality health care services.