Perception and predictors of spousal involvement in antenatal care by women attending immunization clinic at babcock university teaching hospital, Ogun State, Nigeria

Background

The level of spousal involvement in antenatal care (ANC) is not what it should be. This is a concern because a number of preventable maternal and neonatal mortality or morbidity can be attributed to a lack of interest or participation in ANC by their spouses, which usually result in a delay in seeking healthcare and/or delay in reaching a healthcare facility.

Aim

To assess the degree of spousal involvement in ANC among women accessing care at the Immunization Clinic in Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Ogun State, Nigeria.

Patients and Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Two hundred and sixty-eight (268) women who attended the antenatal clinic in their last pregnancy participated in the study. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered in an interview-based manner to each participant. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0).

Results

There was good spousal involvement (56%) in ANC. Statistically significant associations were found between the age, education level, occupation, and income of the spouses and their involvement (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Spousal involvement in ANC in this study was above average. Measures that can consolidate the identified predictors of good spousal involvement in ANC should be adopted.

Male involvement in antenatal care in Agege local government area, Lagos state, Nigeria

Background: Male involvement in antenatal care (ANC) though beneficial remains a global challenge. This study aimed to assess male involvement in ANC among men in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study, carried out between April and November 2017, among 420 men whose partners had at least one birth in the last 5 years, using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Male involvement was graded as good with minimum 50% score. Associations between male involvement and categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test with the level of significance set at P < 0.05Results: Mean age of the respondents was 43.80 ± 11.42 years. Many (58.6%) had good involvement in antenatal care. Male involvement was statistically significant with age, educational status, occupation and income with p value of 0.004, 0.024, < 0.001and 0.04 respectively.Conclusion: Age, education, occupation and income were significantly associated with male involvement. Young males should be encouraged to pursue formal education and vocational opportunities.