title: Risk factors associated with cesarean section in a Chinese rural population: a cross sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify individual and clinical risk factors associated with cesarean section (CS) delivery in a Chinese rural population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from hospital medical records in Henan Province and Anhui Province, China, using univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 1 and December 31, 2008, 46.3% (4,823/10,425) of deliveries were via CS in the study population. After adjustment for other variables, pregnant women in the 25-29-year-old (odds ratio [OR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.61) and > or = 30-year-old (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.46-2.04) age groups were more likely to give birth by CS as compared to the 20-24-year-old age group. Other independent factors related to a higher risk of CS included nonagricultural occupation (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.27-1.62), gestational hypertension (OR 5.22, 95% CI 3.93-6.93), breech presentation (OR 10.47, 95% CI 6.37-17.20), dystocia (OR 28.62, 95% CI 24.62-33.28), and preterm delivery (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.06-1.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age, occupation, gestational hypertension, breech presentation, and dystocia may play an important role in the high level of CS among women in a Chinese rural population. Further comprehensive studies on both medical and nonmedical reasons for CS delivery are needed.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, and National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Dian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Liyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001946:Breech Presentation / Q000453:epidemiology; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004420:Dystocia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult