Socio‐economic disadvantage and utilisation of labour epidural analgesia in Scotland: a population‐based study †
Authors' conclusion
Socio-economic deprivation is associated with lower utilisation of epidural analgesia, even when epidural analgesia is advisable for maternal safety.
Study context
- Population
- All women in labour in Scotland, 1 January 2007 to 23 October 2020, excluding elective caesarean sections131,521 (22.2%) received epidural
- Participants
- 593,230 women
- Exposure
- Most deprived vs most affluent socio-economic deciles
- Outcome
- Utilisation of epidural analgesia
Methodological detailsNHS data
- NHS data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Receipt of epidural analgesia
Relative risk (95% CI)
Most deprived vs Most affluent16% less likely
0.84(0.82–0.85)
Mean change, % (95% CI)
Inter-decile
−2(−2.2% to −1.7%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | RR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt of epidural analgesia, deliveries with documented medical indication (subgroup)Most deprived vs Most affluent · 21,219 deliveries | 0.79 (0.75–0.84) | |
| 0.512Relative risk (log scale) |
Receipt of epidural analgesia, deliveries with documented medical indication (subgroup)
| Mean change (%) (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Inter-decile | −2.5 (−3.1% to −2.0%) | |
| −4−202Difference, % (linear scale) |
Absolute risk
| Outcome | Most deprived, with medical indication | Most advantaged, without medical indication |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute risk of epidural: most deprived with medical indication vs most advantaged without indication | 0.23 (95% CI 0.22–0.24) | 0.25 (95% CI 0.24–0.25) |
Original publication
Socio‐economic disadvantage and utilisation of labour epidural analgesia in Scotland: a population‐based study †. Anaesthesia. Published 15 February 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →