Abstract
Background
Caesarean section is a commonly performed childbirth procedure. While caesarean section
is undeniably a lifesaving procedure for some mothers and babies, it can also be an
unnecessary procedure for others. Different factors may be involved in the rate of
birth by caesarean section.
Question
This qualitative study was conducted in Kashan city, Iran, to explore obstetrician's
views of what might influence pregnant women's choice of delivery method.
Methods
Obstetricians’ views and experiences were collected using semi-structured interviews.
Interviews were conducted in a clinic or hospital, based on the preference of the
18 physicians who agreed to participate in the study. All interviews were recorded
and transcribed. Participants were asked key questions, including: “Why do some women
prefer caesarean section?”; “What kind of delivery did you have and why?”; “What kind
of delivery would you recommend to pregnant women and why?” Inductive qualitative
content analysis was undertaken using the method described by Morreti with 120 initial
codes categorized into six categories.
Findings
The six categories developed from the initial codes were: factors relating to women,
obstetricians, delivery conditions, complications, society's beliefs and the health
system.
Conclusion
A qualitative study conducted in Iran showed that most of the factors identified by
participants facilitated the choice of caesarean section. Vaginal birth was anticipated
as a painful and lengthy process, with low cultural acceptance and resulting in less
income for obstetricians.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 19, 2012
Accepted:
September 18,
2012
Received in revised form:
September 16,
2012
Received:
January 9,
2012
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2012 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
