ArticleSouth African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care2026
Assessing maternal satisfaction after caesarean section in government hospitals in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal: A qualitative study.
Article in South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMaternal satisfaction after a caesarean section (CS) is a key quality indicator, yet understudied in low-income and middle-income countries. This study used a qualitative method approach to address that gap, by exploring factors influencing maternal satisfaction in South African government hospitals, focusing on pain management, emotional support and communication, within the local context of KwaZulu-Natal.
methodsA qualitative descriptive study design was employed. Women who underwent CS in two government hospitals in Durban were included in the study. Data were collected using questionnaires for socio-demographic information and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify and code themes related to maternal satisfaction.
resultsA total of 100 women were interviewed. Three-quarters of the women (n = 77) were satisfied with their CS experience, with only one participant expressing dissatisfaction. Maternal satisfaction was likely primarily related to positive delivery outcomes. Factors that improved satisfaction included effective pain management, a supportive ward atmosphere, and interactions with peers. Despite overall positive responses, only one-third were willing to undergo CS in the future. Maternal satisfaction was reduced by issues like insufficient preoperative information, language barriers, limited autonomy, and a lack of breastfeeding or emotional support.
conclusionMost women reported satisfaction with their CS experience, yet expressed reluctance to undergo the procedure again. This paradoxical phenomenon highlights the complexity and multifaceted nature of maternal satisfaction. Healthcare providers should prioritise open communication, empathy, and respect for women's preferences and values to provide high-quality, patient-centred care.Contribution: The study highlighted the need for responsive, equitable, and person-centred approaches to CS care, particularly within resource-constrained public health settings. By addressing the identified gaps and implementing targeted, theory-informed strategies, healthcare providers and policymakers can take meaningful steps towards improving maternal experiences and outcomes across South Africa's government hospitals.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.