Table 3 Prevalence of Caesarean section delivery by selected explanatory variables at the all-India level
India | NFHS-4 | NFHS-5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
(2015-16) | (2019-21) | |||
Variable | % | p-value | % | p-value |
Caste | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Scheduled Castes | 16.4 | 21.2 | ||
Scheduled Tribes | 9.6 | 12.8 | ||
Other Backward Castes | 19.2 | 24.5 | ||
Others | 25.6 | 31.1 | ||
Religion | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Hindu | 19.4 | 24.0 | ||
Muslims | 17.0 | 21.9 | ||
Others | 23.8 | 31.4 | ||
Type of residence | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Urban | 30.4 | 34.7 | ||
Rural | 14.5 | 19.8 | ||
Woman’s education level | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Illiterate | 6.9 | 9.1 | ||
Primary | 12.6 | 14.5 | ||
Secondary | 23.1 | 25.7 | ||
Higher | 39.8 | 42.2 | ||
Age at marriage | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Below 18 years | 12.3 | 16.0 | ||
18 years or above | 23.4 | 27.9 | ||
Exposure to media | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Nil | 5.8 | 11.2 | ||
Partial | 22.8 | 28.1 | ||
Full | 30.6 | 34.5 | ||
Number of ANC visits | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
0 | 7.1 | 15.9 | ||
1–3 | 12.1 | 16.8 | ||
4+ | 27.7 | 29.2 | ||
Woman’s age | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
15–24 | 18.3 | 21.1 | ||
25–34 | 20.2 | 25.3 | ||
35–49 | 16.9 | 25.7 | ||
Size of child at birth | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Average | 18.4 | 23.5 | ||
Small | 17.1 | 24.4 | ||
Large | 24.2 | 26.4 | ||
Woman’s BMI | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Underweight | 11.1 | 15.1 | ||
Normal | 20.3 | 24.3 | ||
Overweight | 47.1 | 50.0 | ||
Pregnancy Complications | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
No | 18.3 | 22.4 | ||
Present | 20.5 | 26.4 | ||
Ever had a terminated pregnancy | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
No | 18.7 | 23.3 | ||
Yes | 22.3 | 27.6 | ||
Birth order | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
1 | 27.5 | 32.0 | ||
2 | 21.9 | 27.0 | ||
3 | 11.0 | 14.4 | ||
4+ | 4.2 | 6.5 | ||
Wealth quintile | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Poor | 7.9 | 12.7 | ||
Non-poor | 28.3 | 32.8 | ||
Place of delivery | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
Public | 13.2 | 16.1 | ||
Private | 43.1 | 49.7 | ||