PERCEPTIONS OF MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN RELATING TO CAESAREAN SECTION IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Caesarean Section (CS) is an operative technique by which a fetus is delivered through an abdominal and uterine incision. In Nigeria many women regard CS as an indication of reproductive failure and so there is general aversion to it. However the perceptions of married men and women concerning CS have not been investigated. The main objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and attitude of married men and women relating to CS in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Nigeria.

Four hundred and forty two men and women were selected using a three – stage random sampling technique. Eight Focus Group Discussions (FDGs); four for men and four for women, were conducted. A validated questionnaire was used for the collection of quantitative data. The FGDs data were recorded on audio – tapes, transcribed and analyzed using the thematic approach while the quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and Chi square statistics with the level of significance set at 0.05.

The mean age of the respondents was 39.9 ± 11.7 years (male 41.6 ± 11.7; female 38.5 ± 11.5), 57% of them had at least secondary education and almost half (46.0%) were traders. A significant proportion of respondents with at least secondary education (65.3%) would accept CS .Only 8.8% of female respondents had ever undergone CS. Mean number of children delivered by respondents who had ever undergone CS was 1.6 ± 0.2. Only 12.1% perceived CS as being an appropriate method. There was no significant difference in the proportion of females (52.5%) and males (47.5%) who perceived CS as a safe method of delivery. A significant proportion of respondents within 20 – 35 years age bracket (81.0%) expressed fear about CS. More females (51.1%) than males (48.9%) indicated fear of CS. Slightly more than half of the respondents (50.5%) were of the view that consent should be given by patients before CS. Majority of the respondents (82.1%), stated that husbands should always give consent for CS.s Most respondents (77.0%) would consent to CS if necessary. The perceived consequences of CS included death (32.1%), limited number of children (14.9%), complications (10.3%), and pain (8.0%).. Almost equal proportions of males (44.4%) and females (44.2%) were of the opinion that it is not proper for a woman to request for elective CS in advance. The consensus of opinion among FGD participants was that CS was abnormal, the result of a curse and a practice that could lead to a dysfunctional sexual relationship among couples.

Most respondents perceived Caesarean Section as a safe method of delivery. However anxiety about problems associated with the method was common. Health education strategies such as public enlightenment and patient education are needed to address this concern.