An Uninformed Decision-Making Process for Cesarean Section: A Qualitative Exploratory Study among the Slum Residents of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Jesmin Sultana, Ipsita Sutradhar, Musarrat Jabeen Rahman, Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan, Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir Chowdhury, Enam Hasib, Charu Chhetri, S. M. Hasan Mahmud, Tahsin Kashem, Sanjeev Kumar, Zaw Toe Myint, Mahbubur Rahman, Tarique Md. Nurul Huda, Shams El Arifeen and Sk Masum Billah
Additional contact information
Jesmin Sultana: Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Ipsita Sutradhar: BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh
Musarrat Jabeen Rahman: International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St Suite E8527, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan: Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Mohiuddin Ahsanul Kabir Chowdhury: BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh
Enam Hasib: Family Health International, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Charu Chhetri: Falck Global Assistance, Gurugram 122015, India
S. M. Hasan Mahmud: Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Tahsin Kashem: Bangladesh Palliative and Supportive Care Foundation, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Sanjeev Kumar: Health Systems Transformation Platform, New Delhi 110070, India
Zaw Toe Myint: Health Systems Strengthening, Community Partners International, Yangon 11201, Myanmar
Mahbubur Rahman: Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Tarique Md. Nurul Huda: Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Shams El Arifeen: Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Sk Masum Billah: Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The decision-making process and the information flow from physicians to patients regarding deliveries through cesarean section (C-section) has not been adequately explored in Bangladeshi context. Here, we aimed to explore the extent of information received by mothers and their family members and their involvement in the decision-making process. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study in four urban slums of Dhaka city among purposively selected mothers ( n = 7), who had a cesarean birth within one-year preceding data collection, and their family members ( n = 12). In most cases, physicians were the primary decision-makers for C-sections. At the household level, pregnant women were excluded from some crucial steps of the decision-making process and information asymmetry was prevalent. All interviewed pregnant women attended at least one antenatal care visit; however, they neither received detailed information regarding C-sections nor attended any counseling session regarding decisions around delivery type. In some cases, pregnant women and their family members did not ask health care providers for detailed information about C-sections. Most seemed to perceive C-sections as risk-free procedures. Future research could explore the best ways to provide C-section-related information to pregnant women during the antenatal period and develop interventions to promote shared decision-making for C-sections in urban Bangladeshi slums.

Keywords: cesarean section; decision-making process; shared decision-making; information asymmetry; Bangladesh (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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