Iranian and British Womens Attitudes towards Cesarean Delivery - Dissertation Example

The questionnaire was distributed to participants through two hospitals in Iran and one hospital in Britain. All participants were from the middle class and were educated at pre or post-university levels. The Iranian participants were all literate in English.

Results. The results of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) showed two factors emerging from the questionnaire which were labeled as “Preference for CS” and “Misconceptions about CS”. Overall, the Iranian participants gave lower ratings on both factors compared to their British counterparts which imply more support for Cesarean Section. There was also a positive correlation between age and the two factors. Marital status and having children did not influence their preference for and misconceptions about the procedure. It was thus concluded that more effective information dissemination must be carried out about the advantages and disadvantages of CS, to allow women to make more informed choices.

The present chapter is an overview of research related to the medical and psychological aspects of cesarean section, the risks involved, reasons for choosing a cesarean section, and the cultural attitudes towards choosing this procedure. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on the differences in attitudes between two contrasting cultures, that of Iran and the British. The main objectives of the study are outlined at the end of the Chapter.

Background of the Study
Cesarean Section is a surgical procedure initially developed to reduce complications in childbirth. It is considered an essential lifesaving intervention when conditions show that vaginal delivery may be risky to both the mother and the child (Penn & Ghaem-Maghami 2001). Just like other surgical procedures, a Cesarean Section is not free from risk regardless of its enhanced safety (Rezende 1969). Among the maternal risks involved in CS are infections, heavy loss of blood, clotting of blood in the lungs, and death. Additional risks such as nausea, vomiting, and severe headache as a result of anesthesia and bowel movement problems like constipation are also indicated (Cunningham 2005). Possible risks for the baby may encompass injury during the delivery and respiratory complications if there had been a mistake in the calculation of due date before 39 weeks of pregnancy (Kolas, Saugstad, Daltveit, Nilsen, &Oian2006).

Increased rates of Cesarean Sections (CS) as a mode of childbirth have been reported between the 1980s to 1990s. Academic and non-academic researches have been published examining it from different viewpoints (Al-Mufti, Mccarthy, & Fisk 1997). These researches depend on restricted perspectives and are anchored on the subject of obstetric care and the social and cultural personalities of women being supported.

Varying reasons have been presented to support the growing numbers of CS cases such as the increasing number of adult women who have high-risk pregnancies attributable to age; obesity among pregnant women; and women suffering from two or more disorders who are currently allowed to get pregnant (Anderson 2004; Cunningham 2005). Another factor is the influence of media information on the present trends on pregnancy and childbirth techniques and their corresponding outcomes.