Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T01:43:53.639Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

MALE PARTICIPATION IN PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY IN NIGERIA: A SURVEY OF ANTENATAL ATTENDEES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2009

O. OLAYEMI ,
F. A. BELLO ,
C. O. AIMAKHU ,
G. O. OBAJIMI  and
A. O. ADEKUNLE
O. OLAYEMI
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
F. A. BELLO
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
C. O. AIMAKHU
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
G. O. OBAJIMI
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
A. O. ADEKUNLE
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This was a cross-sectional study carried out on 462 pregnant women attending antenatal care in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study's aims were to assess the level of participation of Nigerian men in pregnancy and birth, the attitude of the women and likely targets for improved care delivery. Three hundred and forty-nine women (75.5%) were aware that husbands could participate in childbirth. Most women did not think it was their husbands' place to attend antenatal clinic (48.3%) or counselling sessions (56.7%). Nearly all husbands (97.4%) encouraged their wives to attend antenatal clinic – paying antenatal service bills (96.5%), paying for transport to the clinic (94.6%) and reminding them of their clinic visits (83.3%). Three hundred and thirty-five husbands (72.5%) accompanied their wives to the hospital for their last delivery, while 63.9% were present at last delivery. More-educated women were less likely to be accompanied to the antenatal clinic, while more-educated men were likely to accompany their wives. Yoruba husbands were less likely to accompany their wives, but Yoruba wives with non-Yoruba husbands were 12 times more likely to be accompanied. Women in the rural centre were less likely to receive help with household chores from their husbands during pregnancy, while educated women were more likely to benefit from this. Monogamous unions and increasing level of husbands' education were associated with spousal presence at delivery. It appears that male participation is satisfactory in some aspects, but increased attendance at antenatal services and delivery would be desirable.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 41 , Issue 4 , July 2009 , pp. 493 - 503
Copyright
Copyright © © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Carter, M. W. & Speizer, I. (2005) Salvadoran fathers' attendance at prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum care. Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica 18(3), 149–156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chan, K. K. & Peterson-Brown, S. (2002) How do fathers feel after accompanying their partners in labour and delivery? Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 22, 11–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Carvalho, M. L. (2003) Fathers' participation in childbirth at a public hospital: institutional difficulties and motivations of couples. Cadernos de Saude Publica 19 (Supplement 2), S389–398.Google Scholar
Dragonas, T. G. (1992) Greek fathers' participation in labour and care of the infant. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 6(3), 151–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dutta, M., Kapilashrami, M. C. & Tiwari, V. K. (2004) Knowledge, awareness and extent of male participation in key areas of reproductive and child health in an urban slum of Delhi. Health and Population – Perspectives and Issues 27(2), 49–66.Google Scholar
Hodnett, E. D., Gates, S., Hofmeyr, G. J. & Sakala, C. (2006) Continuous support for women during childbirth (Cochrane Review). In The Reproductive Health Library, Issue 9. Update Software Ltd, Oxford. http://www.rhlibrary.com.Google Scholar
Hung, C. H., Chung, H. H. & Liu, Y. H. (1997) Correlates of couples' attitudes toward husband's childbirth participation. Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences 13(6), 360–369.Google ScholarPubMed
Khan, M. E., Khan, I. & Mukerjee, N. (1997) Involving men in safe motherhood. Journal of Family Welfare 43(2), 18–30.Google Scholar
Leavitt, J. W. (2003) What do men have to do with it? Fathers and mid-twentieth-century childbirth. Bulletin of the History of Medicine 77(2), 235–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Obi, S. N. (2007) Antenatal blood donation for pregnant Nigerian mothers: the husbands' perspective. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 27(5), 467–469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Odimegwu, C., Adewuyi, A., Odebiyi, T., Aina, B., Adesina, Y., Olatubara, O. & Eniola, F. (2005) Men's role in emergency obstetric care in Osun State of Nigeria. African Journal of Reproductive Health 9(30), 59–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rykowska-Pierzchala, A., Smoleń, A., Wislocka-Stawarczyk, M., Wójtowicz, M. & Jakiel, G. (2001) Family labor from the father's point of view. Ginekologia Polska 72(12), 1019–1024.Google ScholarPubMed
Shahjahan, M. & Kabir, M. (2007) Why males in Bangladesh do not participate in reproductive health: lessons learned from focus group discussions. International Quarterly of Community Health Education 26(1), 45–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, A. & Arora, A. K. (2008) How much do rural Indian husbands care for the health of their wives? Indian Journal of Community Medicine 33, 1968.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WHO (2007) Maternal Mortality in 2005: Estimates Developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and the World Bank. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/maternal_mortality_2005/mme_2005.pdf.Google Scholar
Wielgos, M., Jarosz, K., Szymusik, I., Myszewska, A., Kaminski, P., Ziolkowska, K. & Przybos, A. (2007) Family delivery from the standpoint of fathers – can stereotypes of participant or non-participant father be fully justified? European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 132, 40–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed