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Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 1/2020

01-12-2020 | Research article

Socioeconomic risk factors for labour induction in the United Kingdom

Authors: Sarah Carter, Amos Channon, Ann Berrington

Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Background

Labour induction is a childbirth intervention experienced by a growing number of women globally each year. While the maternal and socioeconomic indicators of labour induction are well documented in countries like the United States, considerably less research has been done into which women have a higher likelihood of labour induction in the United Kingdom. This paper explores the relationship between labour induction and maternal demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators by parity in the United Kingdom.

Method

Logistic regression analyses were conducted using the first sweep of the Millennium Cohort Study, including a wide range of socioeconomic factors such as maternal educational attainment, marital status, and electoral ward deprivation, in addition to maternal and infant health indicators.

Results

In fully adjusted models, nulliparous and multiparous women with fewer educational qualifications and those living in disadvantaged places had a greater likelihood of labour induction than women with higher qualifications and women in advantaged electoral wards.

Conclusions

This paper highlights which UK women are at higher risk of labour induction and how this risk varies by socioeconomic status, demonstrating that less advantaged women are more likely to experience labour induction. This evidence could help health care professionals identify which patients may be at higher risk of childbirth intervention.
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Metadata
Title
Socioeconomic risk factors for labour induction in the United Kingdom
Authors
Sarah Carter
Amos Channon
Ann Berrington
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2393
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-2840-3

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