Trends of institutional delivery in China and its influencing factors / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To understand the trends of institutional delivery in recent 30 years in China and find out the main social and demographic factors. Methods Two-staged PPS method was employed for sampling; Uniform questionnaire was drafted and direct interview was adopted to collect the information. Results The institutional delivery rate was increasing rapidly with time, especially from 1990's, which had climbed to 82% in the last three years, but it was still unsatisfactory in the central and western areas. Meanwhile, most women who delivered outside the hospital were assisted only by birth attendants/village doctors or family members/friends in labor. Factor analysis showed that the women s education and occupation and their husbands, the gap of education between the couples, and the antenatal care could significantly affect their choice for where to deliver. Conclusions Great improvement had been achieved in the last several decades, and both individual characteristics, community and health facility could have influences on the women s decision on where to give birth.