LAUSR

Measuring the phenomenon of violation of maternal integrity in childbirth (e.g. obstetric violence) relies in part on the completeness of maternity care providers' data. The population coverage and linkage possibilities that they provide make for a great untapped potential. Although violation of integrity is a complex phenomenon best measured with dedicated instruments, standard data provide details about the birth and care received. Relevant variables include justifications of medical procedures (e.g. episiotomy) and characteristics of the birth process (e.g. length of labour). Demographic variables can be used for intersectional analyses to track potential discrimination -a dimension of violation of integrity in childbirth. Using a baseline questionnaire and perinatal data obtained from hospitals, birth centres and midwifes in the BaBi study (Germany), we compared the completeness of integrity-relevant variables across providers and depending on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the women. We investigated potential for analysis from an intersectional perspective. Our analyses included 908 births, of which 32 outside hospital. There were 634 vaginal birth vs. 274 caesarean sections. We found poor reporting on demographic variables, in particular with regard to the 'region of origin' variable (correct origin recorded for half of the migrants). There was better reporting by midwives than by hospitals for “soft indicators”, such as the position of the women during birth (100% vs. 87.6%). Putting more emphasis on completeness of standardised data could increase their potential for research. Healthcare setting, organisational culture and working conditions might determine what is judged important in terms of reporting; therefore, targeted education may improve this process. Next, we will interview care providers to understand data collection constraints and priorities and potential reporting bias in real-life settings.