Journal article
Regardless of where they give birth, women living in non-metropolitan areas are less likely to have an epidural than their metropolitan counterparts
Women and Birth, Vol.26(2), pp.e77-e81
01/06/2013
PMID: 23276587
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Abstract
Question: Can differences in Australian birth intervention rates be explained by women’s residence at the
time of childbearing?.
Methods: Data were collected prospectively via surveys in 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009 from
women, born between 1973 and 1978, of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Analysis
included data from 5886 women who had given birth to their first child between 1994 and 2009.
Outcome measures were self-report of birth interventions: pharmacological pain relief (epidural and
spinal block analgesia, inhalational analgesia and intramuscular injections), surgical births (an elective
or emergency caesarean section) and instrumental births (forceps and ventouse).
Findings: Primiparous women residing in non-metropolitan areas of Australia experienced fewer birth
interventions than women residing in metropolitan areas: 43% versus 56% received epidural analgesia;
8% versus 11% had elective caesarean sections; and 16% versus 18% had emergency caesarean sections.
Differences in maternal age and private health insurance status at first birth accounted for differences in
surgical birth rates but did not fully explain differences in epidural analgesia.
Conclusion: Non-metropolitan women had fewer birth interventions, particularly epidural analgesia,
than metropolitan women. Differences in maternal age and private health insurance do not fully explain
the differences in epidural analgesia rates, suggesting care provided to labouring women may differ by
area of residence. The difference in epidural analgesia rates may be due to lack of choice in maternity
services, however it could also be due to differing expectations leading to differences in birth
interventions for primiparous women living in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.
Details
- Title
- Regardless of where they give birth, women living in non-metropolitan areas are less likely to have an epidural than their metropolitan counterparts
- Creators
- Jennifer R Powers (Corresponding Author) - Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, AustraliaDeborah J Loxton (Author) - Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, AustraliaAshleigh T O’Mara (Author) - Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, AustraliaCatherine L Chojenta (Author) - Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, AustraliaLyn Ebert (Author) - University of Newcastle Australia
- Publication Details
- Women and Birth, Vol.26(2), pp.e77-e81
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991012993798002368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article