Prevalence and determinants of cesarean section delivery among Somali women: a multivariable analysis of a nationally representative survey.
- 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology, Mogadishu, Somalia.
Abstract
Background
Cesarean section is a life-saving obstetric intervention when medically indicated, yet access remains severely limited in Somalia, where maternal morbidity and mortality are high.Objective(s)
To determine the magnitude of cesarean section delivery and identify factors associated with its utilization among Somali women using nationally representative survey data.Methods
A secondary analysis of the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey was conducted using data from 23,445 women aged 15-49 years. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.Results
The prevalence of cesarean section was 0.3% (61/23,445). Compared with women aged ≥ 35 years, those aged 25-34 years (OR = 6.483; 95% CI: 2.160-19.458; p = 0.001) and <25 years (OR = 6.293; 95% CI: 2.422-16.351; p < 0.001) had statistically significantly higher odds of cesarean delivery. Rural residence (OR = 0.177; 95% CI: 0.091-0.346; p < 0.001) and low household wealth (OR = 0.243; 95% CI: 0.097-0.611; p = 0.003) were statistically significantly associated with lower odds of cesarean delivery. Women with ≥6 children had statistically significantly higher odds of cesarean delivery (OR = 3.960; 95% CI: 2.072-7.569; p < 0.001). Breastfeeding was not significantly associated with cesarean delivery (p = 0.079).Conclusions
Cesarean section utilization in Somalia remains extremely low, indicating substantial inequities in access to emergency obstetric care. Maternal age, parity, place of residence, and household wealth were associated with cesarean delivery.
Related
- Prevalence and determinants of self-reported all-cause dementia among middle-aged and older adults in the United States: Results from a nationally representative survey
- Patterns of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome stages and prevalence of lifestyle risk factors in a nationally representative iranian population study
- Socioeconomic determinants of elevated blood lead among children aged 12-59 months in Bangladesh: a nationally representative survey
- Estimated cardiorespiratory fitness and incident cardiometabolic multimorbidity: findings from three nationally representative cohorts
- Association of Korean Healthy Eating Index with Phase Angle and Extracellular Water-to-Total Body Water Ratio: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study
BibTeX
@article{ahmed2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence and determinants of cesarean section delivery among Somali women: a multivariable analysis of a nationally representative survey.}},
author = {Fatima Mohamud Ahmed},
journal = {Global health action},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/16549716.2026.2747464},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42873239},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence and determinants of cesarean section delivery among Somali women: a multivariable analysis of a nationally representative survey.
AU - Fatima Mohamud Ahmed
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Global health action
DO - 10.1080/16549716.2026.2747464
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42873239
AB - Background Cesarean section is a life-saving obstetric intervention when medically indicated, yet access remains severely limited in Somalia, where maternal morbidity and mortality are high.Objective(s) To determine the magnitude of cesarean section delivery and identify factors associated with its utilization among Somali women using nationally representative survey data.Methods A secondary analysis of the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey was conducted using data from 23,445 women aged 15-49 years. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.Results The prevalence of cesarean section was 0.3% (61/23,445). Compared with women aged ≥ 35 years, those aged 25-34 years (OR = 6.483; 95% CI: 2.160-19.458; p = 0.001) and <25 years (OR = 6.293; 95% CI: 2.422-16.351; p < 0.001) had statistically significantly higher odds of cesarean delivery. Rural residence (OR = 0.177; 95% CI: 0.091-0.346; p < 0.001) and low household wealth (OR = 0.243; 95% CI: 0.097-0.611; p = 0.003) were statistically significantly associated with lower odds of cesarean delivery. Women with ≥6 children had statistically significantly higher odds of cesarean delivery (OR = 3.960; 95% CI: 2.072-7.569; p < 0.001). Breastfeeding was not significantly associated with cesarean delivery (p = 0.079).Conclusions Cesarean section utilization in Somalia remains extremely low, indicating substantial inequities in access to emergency obstetric care. Maternal age, parity, place of residence, and household wealth were associated with cesarean delivery.
SN - 1654-9716
SN - 1654-9880
ER -