Factors Associated with Vaginal/Cesarean Birth Attitudes among Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Polish perinatal care is facing a high, ever-increasing cesarean section (CS) rate that is currently at 43%. Crucially, reports have revealed that the attitudes, experiences, and skills of clinicians directly contribute to this elevated CS rate.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, which included 748 Polish medical students, aimed to identify medical students' attitudes regarding birth methods. A descriptive questionnaire was distributed via the academic email addresses of surveyed medical students. Group comparisons were performed using Welch's t-test for continuous data or a Chi-squared test for categorical data. We also used the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test.

Results: Midwifery students (96.2%) were the most unified group of students, with most agreeing that VB (vaginal birth) presents a safer option for women at low risk for VB-related complications vs. cesarean section. Of Medical Faculty students, 68% believed that fewer complications typically occur during vaginal birth than during CS. Students in their final vs. initial years of study furthermore considered VB more beneficial for women than CS.

Conclusions: An important factor identified at the individual clinician level is the presence of leadership and executive support. For medical students, we can interpret this as support from their trainers and supervisors.

Keywords: attitudes; cesarean; medical students; vaginal birth.

Figure 1

Students’ answers to the question: “Do you think that VB is safer than C-section?” Organized according to field of study.

Figure 2

Changes in students’ opinions about VB and CS over years of study.