Level of male involvement in selected maternal health interventions involving nursing mothers in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria contributes an estimated 19% of global pregnancy related mortalities. The involvement of men in maternal health interventions has immense implications for the uptake and thereby success of such interventions. This study assessed level of male involvement in selected maternal health interventions involving nursing mothers in Benin City, Edo State with a view to providing information to improve the implementation and success of these interventions. A descriptive facility based cross-sectional study design was carried out among two hundred and twenty nursing mothers attending selected immunization clinics in a health facility in Benin City, Edo State. Data were collected using pretested structured questionnaires and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0 statistical software with statistical significance set at P<0.050. The mean (SD) age of male partners of nursing mothers studied was 38.1 (6.4) years. In relation to selected maternal interventions 205 (93.2%) registered for antenatal care (ANC), 159 (72.3%) attended postnatal care (PNC) while family planning uptake was 30 (13.6%). Furthermore, in relation to level of male involvement, 150 (68.2%) male partners paid for ANC registration, 143 (65.0%) accompanied spouse to delivery, 205 (93.2%) paid for delivery, 14 (8.8%) accompanied wife for PNC and 57 (34.5%) supported spouse uptake of family planning. The overall level of male involvement was good 113 (51.4%) among nursing mothers. This study identified that male involvement in selected maternal health interventions was good, in relation to male performance the highest being payment for delivery and least being postnatal care attendance. There is need to sustain and improve on the level of male involvement in relation to maternal health interventions to ensure better maternal and child health outcome in the study population.