title: Caesarean section in the Islamic Republic of Iran: prevalence and some sociodemographic correlates.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of caesarean section in the Islamic Republic of Iran in different provinces and to compare the sociodemographic characteristics of married women with and without caesarean section. Data were analysed from the Iranian Demographic and Health Survey of a representative sample of married women (n = 17,991) who delivered a baby between September 1998 and October 2000. Overall, 35.0% of deliveries were by caesarean section. Women having a caesarean section were older, better educated, married at a later age and with lower parity than those who delivered normally. Provincial variations in rates were significantly correlated with indices of socioeconomic development.
authors.affiliation: College of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaee, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad-Nia
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delavar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eini-Zinab
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazemipour
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mehryar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naghavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D017533:Marital Status; D008423:Maternal Age; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010298:Parity; D018579:Patient Selection; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors