Male Involvement in Birth Preparedness: A Cross Sectional Study of Clients Attending General Hospitals in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION; Maternal mortality has continued to be a major Public health challenge to health systems worldwide. Although there is a substantial decline in maternal deaths and a global progress to decrease of maternal mortality ratios (MMR), the ratios are still much higher throughout sub-Saharan Africa when compared with other regions.

A key strategy that can reduce the number of women dying from such complications is making a birth plan that constitutes birth-preparedness and complication-readiness measures for pregnant women, their spouses and their families. Birth-preparedness and complication-readiness is a comprehensive package aimed at promoting timely access to skilled maternal and neonatal services. Male involvement will enable men to support their spouses to utilize emergency obstetric services early and the couple would adequately prepare for birth and ready themselves for complications. This would lead to a reduction in all three phases of delay and thereby positively impact birth outcomes.

AIM; The aim of the study is to determine the level of involvement of male partners in                  birth preparedness and complication readiness among clients attending General Hospitals in    Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY/RESULT The study was a cross sectional study that collected quantitative data from 334 clients who met the eligibility criteria, between December 2023 to February 2024. All of the 334 participants (84 each from 4 different hospitals) who were approached consented to the study; giving a response-rate of 100%. 

CONCLUSION

Respondents as well as their Husbands had a high awareness and knowledge of the BP/CR. A good percentage of women have support from their spouses although the level of knowledge of BPCR was higher than the practice of it. Men gave reasons for sub-optimal levels of practice to majorly be their work schedule as well as inadequate knowledge of BPCR.

KEYWORDS: Male involvement, Birth preparedness, Complication readiness.