Prediction of delivery type based on the theory of planned behaviors

Nowadays, the rate of cesarean section has surpassed the rate recommended by
World Health Organization. One of the reasons for this increase is women’s request for
cesarean section.
Objective: Given the increase in cesarean section rates as a health problem in Iran and its
effects on maternal mortality, this study aimed to predict the type of delivery based on the
theory of planned behavior.
Method: This cross-sectional study recruited 200 pregnant women presenting to rural health
centers of Urmia using random cluster sampling in 2014. The data collection tool was a
questionnaire containing constructs of the theory of planned behavior, including knowledge,
attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and behavioral intention. Data were
analyzed in SPSS 16 using paired t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression.
Results: Women’s mean age was 27.94.8 years, 68.5% of mothers stated that they intended
to have normal delivery and 31.5% were inclined to cesarean section. Significant relationships
were observed between the delivery choice and education level P, trimester of
pregnancy P , conception type (wanted, unwanted) P , history of abortions
and previous stillbirths P  and type of previous delivery P . Among the
constructs of the theory of planned behavior, subjective norms was the most effective (P <
0.0001), and attitude was the least important factor in predicting the type of delivery (P =
0.01).
Conclusion: It is recommended that intervention programs based on constructs of the theory
of planed behavior be implemented with emphasis on subjective norms to help pregnant
women choose natural delivery