Background Elective caesarean section rates are on the rise and socioeconomic status, perceptions of safety, cultural and social influences are contributory factors. Inspite of the benefits of medically-indicated caesarean section, some women refuse this due to a complexity of factors. This study aimed at determining the factors that influence women to accept medically-indicated caesarean section in a district hospital in Ghana.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 163 purposively-sampled postnatal women in a hospital. A questionnaire was used for data collection after the women gave their consent to participate. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, Chi-square test was done to determine the association between the factors that facilitated respondents’ acceptance of caesarean section and the duration of decision-making. ResultsMajor factors influencing their decision-making process were support from their husbands/relatives (39.3%), their baby’s life being at risk (24.5%), history of previous caesarean section and knowledge about the procedure (19.6%). Age (R2 = 0.19, p< 0.001); previous caesarean section (R2 = 0.14, p<0.001) are the major predictors of the duration of the decision-making process.ConclusionMost women will make decisions to accept elective caesarean section within a week’s duration based on consultation with relatives. There is the need to involve relatives during the antenatal care period in order for younger women in particular to be readily supported to make the decision early to avoid any complications and allay their fears.

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