OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of cesarean sections in Brazilian hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with data from the World Health Organization’s Global Data System for Maternal and Perinatal Health, for the Brazilian states of São Paulo, Pernambuco and the Federal District. Data relating to 15,354 women who gave birth between September/2004 and March/2005 were analyzed, according to sociodemographic, reproductive, and hospital-related characteristics. Bivariate analyses – with calculations of the prevalence ratios and respective confidence intervals – […]