Pregnancy and childbirth: male partner involvement in Uasin Gishu, Kenya

Abstract

IntroductionIn many African countries, pregnancy and childbirth has traditionally been regarded as a woman’s affair. As a result, male partner involvement and participation in pregnancy and childbirth has been minimal, which is thought to have contributed to the high rate of maternal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities. Male partners are often key decision-makers in African households for cultural reasons, yet their role in pregnancy and childbirth is not clearly defined. The aim of this study was to examine and document male partner involvement in maternal healthcare in Kenya.MethodsA health facility-based cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Systematic random sampling was used to select 384 women seeking maternal and child healthcare at Uasin Gishu County Hospital. The participants were interviewed using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires.ResultsAlmost a third of participants (32%) reported never being accompanied by their partners to maternity clinic visits, while 41% were accompanied only for HIV counselling and testing. Over half of respondents reported that their partners provided a fare or transport to the antenatal clinic (55%) and that they were supported when taking iron and folic acid supplements (58%). Just over a third of participants reported their partners took them to the hospital during labour (37%). Only 8% of male partners were present during labour and birth, 55% provided money to travel home after the birth and less than a fifth (19%) accompanied their wives home after birth.ConclusionsMale partner involvement in maternal care is very low in Uasin Gishu county. Male partner involvement needs to be recognised and addressed in health education because of the potential benefits to both maternal and child health outcomes. Health systems should focus on providing couple-friendly antenatal care services. Maternal health intervention strategies and policies that inadvertently isolate men from active engagement in antenatal and postnatal health programmes should be reviewed.