Size of newborn and caesarean section deliveries among teenagers in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from DHS

Magadi, Monica; Agwanda, Alfred; Obare, Francis; Taffa, Negussie

doi:10.1017/s0021932006001313

Authors

Monica Magadi

Alfred Agwanda

Francis Obare

Negussie Taffa

Abstract

This paper uses DHS data from 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, collected in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to examine perceived size of newborn and Caesarean section deliveries among teenagers in the region. A comparison between teenagers and older women, based on logistic regression analyses for individual countries, as well as multilevel logistic analyses applied to pooled data across countries, and controlling for the effects of important socioeconomic and demographic factors, shows that in general, births to teenagers are more likely to be small in size but are less likely to be delivered by Caesarean section compared with births among older women. An examination of the country-level variations shows significant differences in perceived size of newborn and Caesarean section deliveries between countries. However, the observed pattern by maternal age does not vary significantly between countries, suggesting that these patterns are generalizable for the region. For teenagers with characteristics associated with higher odds of Caesarean section, being in a country with an overall higher rate particularly amplifies their individual probability.

Citation

Magadi, M., Agwanda, A., Obare, F., & Taffa, N. (2007). Size of newborn and caesarean section deliveries among teenagers in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from DHS. Journal of biosocial science, 39(2), 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932006001313

Journal Article Type	Article
Online Publication Date	May 4, 2006
Publication Date	2007-03
Journal	JOURNAL OF BIOSOCIAL SCIENCE
Print ISSN	0021-9320
Electronic ISSN	1469-7599
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	39
Issue	2
Pages	175-187
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932006001313
Keywords	Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; General Social Sciences
Public URL	https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/417703