Cesarean delivery rates for overall and multiple pregnancies in Japan: a descriptive study using nationwide health insurance claims data

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17372
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Eri 秋田大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (30778395)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 帝王切開率 / 周産期医療 / レセプトNDB

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Due to the lack of national perinatal registries, population-wide descriptive statistics on cesarean deliveries in Japan are unknown. We aim to describe cesarean deliveries for overall and multiple pregnancies using the Japan National Database of health insurance claims. We calculated the national and prefectural cesarean delivery rates for overall and multiple pregnancies in 2014. We described maternal morbidities (e.g., blood transfusion) and the place and type of the institutions providing prenatal and perinatal care. The national cesarean delivery rates were 18.6% overall and 82.7% for women with multiple pregnancies. Prefectural cesarean delivery rates for overall and multiple pregnancies varied from 12.5% to 24.2% and from 49.2% to 100%, respectively, showing a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.59, p < 0.001). The overall cesarean delivery rate in Japan was optimal, but the rate was high for multiple pregnancies, with large regional differences.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

わが国の多胎妊娠に対する帝王切開率は80%を越えており、地域差が大きかった。本研究で得られた施設間・地域間の移動に関する情報は、周産期医療体制の議論の基盤となり得る。