ABSTRACT

Hong Kong Med J 2007;13:100-5 | Number 2, April 2007
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Determinants of preference for elective caesarean section in Hong Kong Chinese pregnant women
SMW Pang, DTN Leung, TY Leung, CY Lai, TK Lau, TKH Chung
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital,Shatin, Hong Kong
 
 
OBJECTIVE. To find the clinical and socio-demographic determinants for Hong Kong Chinese women who preferred elective caesarean section.
 
DESIGN. Cross-sectional interview survey.
 
SETTING. University teaching hospital, Hong Kong.
 
PARTICIPANTS. A cohort of consecutive Hong Kong Chinese pregnant women (n=660) attending a government-funded obstetric unit catering deliveries in the New Territories in Hong Kong in 2002.
 
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. The clinical and socio-demographic determinants of preference for elective caesarean section, in women who could have a trial of vaginal delivery.
 
RESULTS. The overall prevalence for maternal preference for elective caesarean section was 16.7% (95% confidence interval, 13.8-19.6). The factors associated with preferring elective caesarean section were: previous elective caesarean section (odds ratio=7.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-28.7) and previous emergency caesarean section (3.8; 1.8-8.2). Among nulliparous women, the prevalence of preference for elective caesarean section was 16.8% (95% confidence interval, 13.0-20.6). Conception by in-vitro fertilisation was found to be significantly associated with preferring elective caesarean section in nulliparous women (odds ratio=5.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-26.4).
 
CONCLUSION. Previous caesarean section and conception by in-vitro fertilisation were determinants for women preferring elective caesarean section.
 
Key words: Asian continental ancestry group; Cesarean section
 
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