Background:

The Caesarean section (C-section) rate is used as an indicator for availability and utilization of life-saving obstetric services. The purpose of the present study was to explore changes in C-section rates between 1995 and 2011 by area, place of delivery and maternal socioeconomic factors in Mozambique.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data from the Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Mozambique in 1997, 2003 and 2011 were used, including women having a live birth within 3 years prior to the survey. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with having a C-section.

Results:

The C-section rate decreased slightly from 2.5 % in 1995–1997 to 2.1 % in 2001–2003 and then increased to 4.7 % in 2009–2011. In 2009–2011, C-section rates ranged in urban areas from 4.6 % in the northern region to 12.2 % in the southern region and in rural areas from 1.6 % in the northern region to 3.9 % in the southern region. 12.3 % of the richest women had had a C-section, compared to 1.7 % of the poorest women. C-sections were the most common at public hospitals (12.6 % in 2009–2011), but C-sections at health centers increased from the second to the third period. The likelihood of having a C-section was associated with living in urban areas and in the southern region, having a formal education and living in a rich household, even adjusting for age and parity (and study periods). The strongest relationship was for the richest household wealth quintile [OR (95 % CI): 9.8 (6.3–15.3)]. The highest rate (20.6 %) was found among the richest women giving birth at public hospitals in the southern region in 2009–2011.

Conclusion:

In Mozambique, underuse of C-section was likely among the poor and in rural areas, but overuse in the most advantaged groups seemed to be emerging.