Involvement of Male in Antenatal Care, Birth Preparedness and Complication Readinessand Associated Factors in Ambo Town, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background:- Men  are not only act as decision-makers for women and children’s access to health services, but also through abuse or neglect, men’s actions can have a direct bearing on the health of their female partners and children. A husband at antenatal clinic is rare in many communities and it is unthinkable to find men accompanying with their partners during ANC and delivery. Objective: - To determined Involvement of male in antenatal care, birth preparedness and complication readiness and associated factors in Ambo Town Oromia, Ethiopia Methods: - A community based cross-sectional study design was employed from May 1^st to May28th, 2015. The study participants were selected by using simple random sampling computer generated technique. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors. Result:-The mean age of study participant was 31.93 ± 7.12 years, range from17 to 60 years old and ethnic group almost all 319 (85.3%) were Oromo  and  90.4% were had formal education. The prevalence of male involvement in Antenatal care was 59.9% with 95%CI [54.8% to 64.4%) with independent predictors of educated male, governmental employed, helped on domestic work and ever attended health education were demonstrated greater male involvement in antenatal care.This study determined the overall birth preparedness and complication readiness practice among married males were 50.8% with 95% CI of (46.0 to 55.3%) with factors of male involved in antenatal care, had good knowledge towards general danger signs and higher family monthly income were demonstrated greater likelihoods of birth preparedness and complication readiness practice. More than half about 60.7% decisions making to seek health care facility were decided by male partner alone and 53.7% had good knowledge of general danger signs in the study area.Conclusion: -Involvement of male in Antenatal care and birth preparedness were low as compared to previous study and identified factors demonstrated greater likelihoods of male involvement. Therefore, those factors associated with male involvement in antenatal care and birth preparedness, complication readiness would be emphatically considered during maternal health program development by police makers in collaboration with others responsible bodies in developing countries.

Keywords: Male involvement, ANC, Birth preparedness Ambo town