Lack of continuity and perceived insecurity are possible causes for cesarean section requests, according to the study from Mälardalen University. Researchers believe increased security, more time for conversation, and better continuity can reduce the need for cesarean sections on request. An overview study from Lund University indicates private hospitals in European countries have higher cesarean rates than public hospitals, even among low-risk women.
The analysis included over 12 million births in 25 countries between 2000 and 2025, with 32 percent occurring in private hospitals. Southern Europe had the highest cesarean frequencies at about 55 percent, and nearly three-quarters of cesareans there occurred in private healthcare. The most striking difference between public and private hospitals was found in first-time mothers with low risk.
Researchers believe non-medical factors like local routines, economic incentives, or care policy can influence cesarean rates, and women's own wishes can also be the basis for cesareans. In Sweden, a research-based, structured system offers support and tools to manage birth anxiety for women wishing for cesareans, motivating low-risk women toward vaginal delivery. This structured system helps explain the lower cesarean frequency in Sweden and other Nordic countries.