Male knowledge of birth preparedness in Ogun State, Nigeria: A rural/urban comparative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the knowledge of men concerning birth preparedness between rural and urban dwellers of Ogun State, Nigeria. Methodology: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 men each in rural and urban areas of Ogun State using a multistage sampling method to select participants. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to elicit data about respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of birth preparedness. Knowledge was graded as good and poor knowledge. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 20 and presented as tables. Results: The mean ages of the urban and rural respondents were 36.58±6.760 and 37.61±9.788 respectively. The difference in the mean age of urban and rural residents was not statistically significant (t=-1.819, P=0.069). A higher proportion of urban respondents (53.4%) had a statistically significant good knowledge of birth preparedness compared to 30.2% of rural men (P<0.001). The association between age and knowledge of birth preparedness was statistically significant among rural respondents (P<0.001) unlike urban respondents (P=0.874). A statistically significant association was noted between education and knowledge (P<0.001) in the urban area as against the rural area (P=0.084). Conclusion: Knowledge of birth preparedness is better among male urban dwellers than their rural counterparts. Knowledge is statistically significantly associated with age in the rural area and with the level of education in the urban area. There is a need for an improved appropriate strategy that can raise knowledge of maternity care among rural men.