ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1688528
Patients Preference for Mode of Delivery in a Middle Eastern Society: A Cross-sectional Study
Provisionally accepted
Nashwa Aldardeir1Mohammed Sulaimani1Sarah Y. Bahowarth2Aseel H. Abdulaziz2Firyal K. Alghalayini2Khloud W. Halabi2
Anas S. Alyazidi2*Eman S. Jastanieh2Raghad Alharbi2Shahad T. Alamoudi2Meshari Alrumaihi1Mohammed A. Malibary1- 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 2Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Background: Cesarean section (CS) rates are increasing globally, including in the Middle East. While CS can be a lifesaving procedure, unnecessary CS can lead to complications for both mother and child. Understanding factors influencing women's delivery preferences is crucial for optimizing maternal and child health outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated factors influencing the preferred mode of delivery among 661 pregnant women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Multiple factors showed significant associations with CS preference in multivariable analysis. Non-Saudi women had substantially higher odds of preferring CS compared to Saudi nationals (aOR 2.45, 95% CI 1.30-4.60). Urban residency (aOR 2.89, 95% CI 1.45-5.78) and higher income ≥50,000 SAR (aOR 4.15, 95% CI 1.02-16.88) were also strong predictors. Conversely, women aged 31-40 years had significantly lower odds of preferring CS (aOR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.78) compared to those aged 18-24. Women with no prior CS were more likely to prefer spontaneous vaginal delivery, and previous CS in private hospitals significantly increased CS preference for subsequent deliveries. Conclusion: This study highlights the complex interplay of demographic, socioeconomic, and personal factors influencing women's delivery preferences. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions to promote informed decision-making and optimize maternal and child health outcomes. Further research is needed to investigate the underlying reasons for these preferences.
Keywords: Cesarean Section, Mode of delivery, Maternal health, knowledge, opinion
Received: 19 Aug 2025; Accepted: 20 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Aldardeir, Sulaimani, Bahowarth, Abdulaziz, Alghalayini, Halabi, Alyazidi, Jastanieh, Alharbi, Alamoudi, Alrumaihi and Malibary. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Anas S. Alyazidi, alyazidi.anas@gmail.com
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