Determinants of Male Partner Involvement in Antenatal care in Kitui East sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Male partner involvement in antenatal care has been a challenge globally over the years despite previous research evidence having shown that their involvement results in improved maternal outcomes. For instance, in Kenya where maternal mortality rate is 362 per 100,000 live births, only 1 out of 4 men accompany their spouses to the antenatal clinic. However, there is lack of information concerning factors influencing male partner involvement in ANC. The main objective of this study was to establish the determinants of male partner involvement in ANC in Kitui East sub-County. A cross sectional study design utilizing quantitative methods was adopted. Probability sampling method (stratified at ward level and simple random at household level) was used to reach a sample of 297 households. In each household, data was collected by use of questionnaires after the researcher gained informed consent. The study population was men aged 18 years and above whose female partners had given birth in the past 12 months. Collected data were entered and analysed in SPSS version 24. Both descriptive and inferential analyses statistics were calculated. The results indicated that overall, more than half (61%) of the participants were involved in ANC. Factors including age of the participant, number of children, pregnancy planning, previous ANC experience, awareness of ANC and financial decision making significantly (P<0.05) influenced male involvement. This study concludes that empowering men with knowledge on ANC specifically awareness of the danger signs during pregnancy, the antenatal profile and the required minimum number of ANC visits is imperative in order to improve male involvement.