Predictors of male knowledge and participation in maternal health care in urban Kano, northern Nigeria

Published: November 21, 2023
Abstract Views: 150
PDF: 31
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Investigating the pivotal role of men in maternity care in the highly populous state of Kano, northern Nigeria, is crucial to improving maternal health outcomes, as they are powerful decision- makers. This study assessed the level and predictors of knowledge and participation of men in maternal health care. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was administered on a cross-section of 399 ever-married men. Predictors of male knowledge and participation in maternal health were determined using logistic regression analysis. Very few of the men (9.5%) had adequate aggregate knowledge, while many (72.2%) had good participation in maternal health care. Men with tertiary education were less likely to have poor knowledge (aOR) = 0.28, 95% CI [0.09- 0.89], and men whose highest educational qualification was at primary, secondary, and tertiary level were 61%, 54%, and 78% less likely to have poor participation in their wives’ utilization of maternal health services respectively. At the same time, men with lower incomes had increased odds of poor participation in their wives’ utilization of maternal health services. Men are largely ignorant of maternal health care services in Northern Nigeria, especially among the less well-educated. Maternal health programmers should increasingly educate and involve men as partners in reducing the disproportionately high maternal mortality in the region.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

World Health Organization. Maternal mortality. 2019. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
World Health Organization. Maternal health in Nigeria: generating information for action. Available from: https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/maternal-health-nigeria/en/
Tinker A, Hoope-Bender P, Azfar S, et al. A continuum of care to save newborn lives. Lancet 2005;365:822-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)71016-3
Mullick S, Kunene B, Wanjiru M. Involving men in maternity care: health service delivery issues. Agenda Special Focus 2005:124-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31899/rh4.1204
Onah H, Ikeako L, Iloabachie G. Factors associated with the use of maternity services in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria. Soc Sci Med 2006;63:1870-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.04.019
Osubor KM, Fatusi AO, Chiwuzie JC. Maternal health seeking behaviour and associated factors in a rural Nigerian community. Matern Child Health J 2006;10:159- 69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-005-0037-z
National Population Commission (NPC) [Nigeria] and ICF. Nigeria demographic and health survey 2018. Abuja, Nigeria, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NPC and ICF.
Sharma V, Leight J, Giroux N, et al. “That’s a woman’s problem”: a qualitative analysis to understand male involvement in maternal and newborn health in Jigawa state, northern Nigeria. Reprod Health 2019;16:143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0808-4
Singh D, Lample M, Earnest J. The involvement of men in maternal health care: cross-sectional, pilot case studies from Maligita and Kibibi, Uganda. Reprod Health 2014;11:68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-11-68
Nyandieka LN, Njeru MK, Ng’ang’a Z, et al. Male involvement in maternal health planning key to utilization of skilled birth services in Malindi subcounty, Kenya. Advances in Public Health 2016;5608198. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5608198
Rabiu A, Garba I, Abubakar IS. Ritual hot bath (wankan jego) in Kano: are they still practicing? what are the implications? Sahel Med J 2016;19:215-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1118-8561.196368
Duze MC, Mohammed IZ. Male knowledge, attitudes and family planning practices in northern Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health 2006;10:53-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/30032471
Iliyasu Z, Abubakar IS, Galadanci HS, Aliyu MH. Birth preparedness, complication readiness and fathers’ participation in maternity care in a northern Nigerian community. Afr J Reprod Health 2010;14:21-32.
Mullany BC, Becker S, Hindin MJ. The impact of including husbands in ante-natal health education services on maternal health practices in urban Nepal. Health Educ Res 2007;22:166-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyl060
Oche MO, Umar AS, Ibrahim MTO, Sabitu K. An assessment of the impact of health education on maternal knowledge and practice of childhood immunization in Kware, Sokoto state. J Public Health Epidemiol 2011;3:440-7.
Butawa NN, Tukur B, Idris H, et al. Knowledge and perceptions of maternal health in Kaduna state, northern Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health 2010;14:71-6.
Nkuoh GN, Meyer DJ, Tih PM, Nkfusai J. Barriers to men’s participation in antenatal and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission care in Cameroun, Africa. J Midwifery Womens Health 2010;55:363-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmwh.2010.02.009
Grady WR, Tanfer K, Billy JOG, Lincoln-Hanson J. Men’s perception of their roles and responsibilities regarding sex, contraception and childbearing. Family Planning Perspectives 1996;28:221-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2135841
Avong HN. Perception and attitudes towards the nigerian federal population policy, family planning program and family planning in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health 2000;4:66-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3583244
Olayemi O, Bello FA, Aimakhu CO. Male participation in pregnancy and delivery in Nigeria: a survey of ante-natal attendees. J Biosoc Sci 2009;41:493-03. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932009003356
Odimegwu C, Adewuyi A, Odebiyi T, et al. Men’s role in emergency obstetric care in Osun state of Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health 2005;9:59- 71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3583412
Population Council. Men in maternity study. Summary of findings from pre-intervention interviews with women and their husbands attending antenatal clinics at ESIC facilities in Delhi. FRONTIERS Research Update. New Delhi: Population Council. Available from: https://knowledgecommons.popcouncil.org/departments_sbsr-rh/1787/
Carter MW, Speizer I. Salvadoran father’s attendance at pre-natal, delivery and post-partum care. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2005;18:149-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1020-49892005000800001
Gibore NS, Ezekiel MJ, Meremo A, et al. Determinants of men’s involvement in maternity care in Dodoma Region, Central Tanzania. Journal of Pregnancy 2019;7637124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7637124
Mersha AG. Male involvement in the maternal health care system: implication towards decreasing the high burden of maternal mortality. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2018;18:493. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-018-2139-9
World Health Organization. Equity, Social determinants and and public health programmes. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241563970_eng.pdf
Horstman RG, Nepal B, Dev Pant P. Husband involvement in the prevention of maternal ill health: the determinants of husband domestic support in rural low-land Nepal. Available from: http:// paa2004.princeton.edu/download.asp?submissionId=40758
Dunn A, Haque S, Innes M. Rural Kenyan men’s awareness of danger signs of obstetric complications. The Pan African Medical Journal 2011;10:39.
Rahman KMM. Determinants of maternal health care utilization in Bangladesh. Res J Applied Sci 2009;4:113-9.
Babalola S, Fafusi A. Determinants of use of maternal health services in Nigeria- looking beyond individual and household factors. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2009;9:43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-9-43

How to Cite

Amole, T., Abubakar, I., Bello, M., Farouk, S., & Iliyasu, Z. (2023). Predictors of male knowledge and participation in maternal health care in urban Kano, northern Nigeria. Annals of African Medical Research, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/aamr.2023.174