Knowledge, attitude and acceptance of antenatal women toward labor analgesia and caesarean section in a medical college hospital in India

Abstract

Background : The present audit was initiated to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, perception and acceptance of women toward labor analgesia and caesarean section, in a Medical College Hospital in Udaipur, India. Materials and Methods : A semi-structured interview of 200 antenatal women was conducted, to assess the knowledge, attitude and perception regarding labor analgesia and caesarean section (CS) and to estimate the correlation of awareness and acceptability with demographic variables. The data were analyzed using Epi Info 6 and the Likert type scale (0 - 10), as also the chi square test, to calculate the statistical significance. Results : Most of the patients (n = 181, 90.50%) were unaware of labor analgesia. When the option of labor analgesia was offered, only 23% (n = 46) accepted it and the most significant reason for refusal was to experience natural child birth (n = 114 / 154, 74.03%). An educational status of the graduate level had a positive impact on knowledge about labor analgesia (P = 0.0001). When the option for CS was offered, 73.50% women (n = 147; P = 0.008) refused and the most common reasons for refusal were fear of operation (53.06%, n = 78) and delay in resuming household work (46.26%, n = 68). Educational status up to the graduate level and previous surgical experience of CS had a positive correlation with preference for CS (P = 0.0092 and P = 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions : Awareness and acceptance for labor analgesia was relatively low among the prospective parturients. A higher level of education had a significant impact on their decisions regarding delivery.

Keywords

• Acceptance
• awareness
• caesarean section
• knowledge
• labor analgesia