Background: The most of pregnant women can have normal vaginal birth. Recently, caesarean section rates are gradually
increasing both worldwide, and in my country.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the delivery preferences among women giving birth in hospitals, and the
factors affecting this preference.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was performed in state (n=674) and private (n=148) hospitals. Data were gathered
by a questionnaire applied by an interviewer. 822 women who had given live birth and gave verbal consent to participate,
were included into the study. The data were analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis.
Results: Two-thirds of the live births were by caesarean section. According to the binary logistic regression analysis, the
possibility of undergoing caesarean section increased when; mothers’ age increased, they were short, they gave birth in a
private hospital, they had social security, they were primigravida, they had a previous miscarriage/ curettage/ stillbirth, and
the major factor was found to be, having had a previous delivery by caesarean section. Variables such as; pregnancy week,
babies’ weight, mothers’ educational and occupational status, fathers’ educational status, family type, residential area,
economical status were found to be insignificant.
Conclusion: The facts that 2/3 rds. of the deliveries were by caesarean section, and that all of those who had undergone a
previous caesarean delivery had a consequent caesarean delivery, and that most of the primigravida (60.5%) that gave birth
by caesarean section were due to doctor’s medical indication, make us think that doctors prefer caesarean delivery