title: Rising cesarean section rates, a patient's perspective: experience from a high birth rate country.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of social class, education and antenatal care on cesarian section (CS) rate and women's preference for CS.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive study performed on 509 women attending postnatal clinics in three primary care units in Ismailia governorate, Egypt. The study performed via a structured questionnaire including questions related to background socio-demographic data, questions related to obstetrical history for the last pregnancy and delivery, and questions related to economic standards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 266 participants (52.3%) that delivered by CS in their last delivery. CS rate was significantly higher in highly educated women and high economic standard. Only 29 (7.7%) reported that they had preferred CS as a method of delivery. Educational level and economic standards significantly affected the proportion of women preferring CS as a method of delivery (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). In a stepwise logistic regression model, significant factors affecting CS rate were: the method of delivery preferred (p < 0.005) and educational level (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational level and economic standards significantly affected women's preference towards CS and CS rate.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shaaban
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Sayed Ahmed
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Khadr
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: El-Sayed
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000639:trends*; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires