DETERMİNANTS OF CESAREAN BİRTH AND ITS CHANGE OVER TİME: RETROSPECTİVE COHORT ANALYSİS İN TURKİSH NATİONAL AND FOREİGN NATİONAL PREGNANCY

ABSTRACTObjective: To examine the change in cesarean delivery rates in Turkish national and foreign pregnant women over time, to determine the factors associated with cesarean section and to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 period. Method: A retrospective cohort study examined 2017 singular births in a health care provider between 2023 and 23,127 years. Due to missing calendar year data, the years 2017 and 2023 were not included in the time trend analysis; the analyses were conducted over 2018–2022 period, with 21,946 births. Categorical variables ki-square, continuous variables compared with independent sample t-test. The factors associated with cesarean delivery were evaluated by binary logistic regression. The models included nationality, maternal age, hemoglobin level, gravida, parity, year of birth and COVID-19 period.Results: Caesarean sections were found at 2018’ at 44.5%, 2019’ at 45.1%, 2020’ at 43.5%, 2021’ at 48.0% and 2022’ at 47.1%. The difference between the years was significant (p