Abstract
BackgroundEthiopia has recorded substantial progress in maternal health recently. However, poor utilization of maternal health care services is challenging further improvement. Although male partners are decision-makers in households, the impact of their involvement on maternal health care services has not been well studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the association between male partners’ involvement in maternal health care on utilization of maternal health care services.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on male/female couples with a baby less than 6 months old (N = 210) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The main independent variable of the study was male partners’ involvement in maternal health care. Two structured questionnaires were used to collect the data from men and women. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.ResultsMean age in years was 28.7 (SD = 5.4) for women and 36.2 (SD = 8.8) for men. Half of the men (51.4%) have accompanied their partner to antenatal care (ANC) at least once. However, only 23.1% of them have physically entered the ANC room together. Overall involvement of male partners was poor in 34.8% of the couples (involved in two or fewer activities). After controlling for other covariates, the odds of having 1st ANC visit within the first trimester of pregnancy and skilled delivery attendant at birth were higher in women whose male partners took time to know what happened during ANC visits (AOR = 1.93; 95%CI = 1.04–3.60; AOR = 2.93; 95%CI = 1.24–5.6.90, respectively). Similarly, the odds of having at least one ANC visit, first ANC visit within twelve weeks, HIV testing, skilled birth attendant, and birth in a health facility were higher in couples with higher overall male partner involvement.ConclusionThe study demonstrated significant associations between male partners’ involvement in maternal health care and utilization of some maternal health care services by female partners.
Highlights
Ethiopia has recorded substantial progress in maternal health recently
Ethiopia has joined the current global effort as embodied in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to keep the spotlight on the unfinished agenda of ending preventable maternal, newborn and child mortality [1]
Male partner involvement most (82.4%; n = 173) male partners paid antenatal care (ANC) related cost of their partners and 51.4% (n = 108) accompanied their partner to ANC at least once, only 11.9% (n = 25) of male partners entered to the ANC room with their partners for consultation (Fig. 1)
Summary
Ethiopia has recorded substantial progress in maternal health recently. poor utilization of maternal health care services is challenging further improvement. Male partners are decision-makers in households, the impact of their involvement on maternal health care services has not been well studied. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) report (2015) shows that there was a substantial improvement in maternal and child health globally as measured by under-five mortality rate (declined by 53%) and maternal mortality ratio (declined by 44%) between 1990 and 2015 [1]. Despite this progress, maternal mortality ratio remains unacceptably high in low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa [2].
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